Adebayo Salami is a legend, a man of many parts, who stands tall as an actor, film producer, director, and scriptwriter after working in the Nigerian film industry for 60 years. His career in stage and film production spans many eras in the evolution of the Nigerian film industry. Not one to retire any soon, this father and leader opens up on his achievements, humble beginnings and gratitude to God in the last six decades in this interview with THE NATION ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR, GBENGA BADA.
Being in a career for six decades is no small feat. How does it feel, celebrating 60 years on the job? Well, first and foremost, let me thank almighty Allah for giving me the grace to be in the field up till now. I’m very happy, and I can say I’m fulfilled, because I have to thank God for everything that has been done for me in the field. Even though there is no way in any journey, there won’t be ups and downs, so, definitely, I’m happy, and I’m very thankful.
But when you started in 1964, as a young boy, did you foresee all these challenges you just mentioned, and what drew you into the world of acting?
When I started, I was very young, I was 12 years old then, and I didn’t do it because I was looking for fame, I didn’t go into it because I was looking for money, I just had a passion for anything that had to do with culture, that’s what made me go into it. But, at the moment, I found myself in the field of acting, and something inspired me, and somebody inspired me to go into it. So, finding myself there, it’s not something I regret because I’m doing something that I’m passionate about, that is the way it is up till now.
You said somebody influenced you as a young boy. Who was that person, and what was that particular thing this person did, on stage or TV, that made you decide acting is for you?
The late Chief Dr. Hubert Ogunde inspired me, and at that time, I think 1963, before I joined the group. He was doing a programme on television, NTA. By that time, the title of the programme was Village Doctor. So, I saw it, I liked it, and I liked the way Chief Dr. Hubert Ogunde acted. So, I said, yes, I was going to be like this man, that’s what inspired me.
You are one of the few actors and filmmakers who have been there through the growth of Nollywood. You went from stage to screen, and now, we are not only in cinemas across the world, but we are also on streaming platforms. What do you think has been the difference in the different levels of Nollywood film as an industry?
Many things have changed over time because everything has to move with time. Well, many things have changed in terms of technology, storytelling, acting-wise, putting props together, and doing it properly. Because, then, when we started, we were looking at ourselves as somebody who was a dropout, as somebody who was not serious, a lazy person. But today, we thank God, we have more and more educated people among us. So, in terms of that education, we can change, move, to elevate ourselves. Education has elevated us to the level we are now; that’s number one. Number two, the thing I can see is that it changes so many things. Well, you cannot compare stage performance to movie production; it’s quite different. The discipline we have in stage performance is quite different from the one we have in movie production. Then, we were better-disciplined than now and a little bit lacking in the field of film production. And, when you look at it, we have more talent in the industry now who can tell stories and can interpret their roles very well, so there are a lot of changes here.
Speaking of new talent, could it be industry or the income of talent? Do you think that this new generation of talent or actors, or filmmakers understands the work that was done to lay a foundation that they are now building for?
Well, yes, some do understand, but some do not even understand. If you ask some of them, especially the present generation, they don’t know who Ogunde is. And, you have to give it to Baba. Baba is the one who commercialised this progression. So, they don’t know who Ogunde is, they don’t know Baba Mero, some of them don’t even know Baba Sala, they don’t know about Oyin Adejobi, Ogumola, and others like that. And those are the people who created this thing. Those are the people who started it; they paved the way for somebody like us, and we know it. So, if you see some of them who give respect to the elders and know the history, it means their way to the industry must be from those people I just talked about, that’s what I can say.
Read Also: Bichi donates 13 buses, tractors to Kano varsities, constituents
I know some of your children are actively involved in different aspects of filmmaking. Did you at any point influence their choice of being in the industry or was it just something they just decided to do on their own?
No, I never even thought that any of my children would take after me. I never thought that some of my children would come into this industry, no. They just have a passion for it; they have different fields, different courses on their own. For instance, Femi is a lawyer, Sodiq Adebayo, who’s a production manager, and knows about production management very well. He’s a geologist. Tope Adebayo is a computer scientist. So they have different fields, they just have passion for it, there was no time I called any of them and said, ‘come, you have to take after me,’ no, That is not my style, even by the time they want to go into university, it’s the course that you say you want to do that I say, go ahead, no matter how, I would just encourage them, do my part as a father, that is it. I did not influence, I have not influenced anybody except that I give my support whenever they want to do any production or something like that. And they ask me questions, I answer them, I teach them, so they have to enjoy the position of their father in the industry, so that is it.
Did any of your sons at any point enjoy any form of privileges of being Oga Bello’s son? Maybe get roles without necessarily auditioning for it, or they just hand them over some production work just because they are Oga Bello’s son?
Nothing of such ever happened, getting roles or something like that, but they can get my influence whenever they want to shoot and they are looking for a particular location. They don’t have access to it, maybe I know the person, I can call them, which is the only thing, but for them to get roles, no. For instance, the first movie that I think I can say brought Femi into the limelight is ‘Owo Blow.’ I didn’t even know when he went for the audition. Tade Ogidan was the producer of the movie. He did not know that Femi Adebayo was my son until after he got the role.
So, about your new project, ‘Her Excellency,’ what story is the film telling and what message is it telling?
I love to write family story a lot and I see that, so many people up there like the governor, ministers, who encounter so many things in their matrimonial home and I’m trying to tell people, especially the woman, that no matter what the position of your husband is, you have to understand him, give him your full support he will have rest of mind. Otherwise, he would not do the work right, so it’s a way of telling the woman that there is a difference between marital life and both profession or career, whatever the case may be, that is my message to people. If you look at it nowadays, many people have gone due to jealousy, many people have injured themselves due to jealousy, and I have so many marriages that have broken because of jealousy. So I’m telling people, if you are jealous, you take it easy, which is the message I’m trying to pass across.
After celebrating six decades of being in the industry and crowning it with a major project, ‘Her Excellency,’ is this the point at which you retire or are we expecting more from you in the future?
Let me make you understand something. I’m not going to retire, I’m not ready to do that, I have many things to throw to the public, to my fans, to enjoy me more. Most artists don’t retire; you only move with time. Moving with time is, by now, nobody would write a story and cast me for a lover boy, and it’s not possible. So, they would rather make me grandpa, or they make me chief executive, or kabiyesi, or whatever. You see, you don’t retire; if you do retire, the talent will haunt you, no matter how, and you get old in no time. You still need to be moving around. If you are still agile, you still have the idea, you put out the idea, so, I won’t retire.
In an interview, your son Femi Adebayo said he played a role where he had to slap you in that film and he said he had to apologise after the shoot to you. Can you share the experience with us?
Well, let me tell you, if I’m acting with him or any of my sons on set, I’m not seeing them as my son, I’m not seeing them as my child at all. I’m looking at them as a colleague, I’m looking at him to interpret his role properly, and I interpret my own too properly. I must confess to you, if, when he came and said, Daddy, I’m not being rude. And I told him, God save you if you had not slapped me, I would have slapped you after the shooting, because you didn’t do the part, you didn’t interpret your role very well, and they must do it properly.
If you compare your days, when you were younger in the film industry and now, when everything has blossomed, was sexual harassment a big issue as it is at the moment?
Wherever sector you belong to, there must be, when I say must, or I say, probably, it may happen, like that, but there’s no sexual harassment because you want to get a role, or somebody wants to give you a role. In our days, and up till now, I don’t believe it. It’s you that you always, most of these girls go to directors and producers, please, and by all means, by fire, by where I want to be in the film, they are ready to do something, they are ready to agree with whatever your condition is, I must confess to you. So, a good director, a good producer, will not cast anybody with sentiment. If you have a good story, if you don’t cast, or you cast with sentiment, you want to spoil your story. So, because a lady says, I want to stay with him, therefore, I must, by fire and force, I put him that, no. Sexual harassment is all over. It happens within the bank. It happens within the broadcasters, it happens wherever, in the ministry. You will agree with me about what I’m saying, so if you think about it, we are not alone, but you cannot force anybody. You cannot do anything to have a relationship with you. If you are interested, fine; if you are not interested, fine. By force, no. However, I want to let you know that a good director or producer will not cast based on sentiment.
So, have you ever been in that position, where if a lady, an up-and-coming actor or an accomplished one, is requesting a role in exchange for sex, have you ever been in that situation, at any point in your career?
I will not even leave the chance for you to come and meet me or talk to me about it, because I’m a disciplined director, I’m a disciplined producer, and I won’t do it. That’s it. I know the rudiments of the profession, so I will not do it. I will not give you the chance to come near me. I’ve never seen anyone like that. But I know it happens in this generation, it happens like that.
Speaking about discipline, you have been quite vocal about issues that have to do with structure, the lack of structure, and discipline in Nollywood. Where do you think we are now as an industry?
There is structure, you have to have structure, and one thing is you cannot force anybody to join any association. And I want you to know that some people are talking about discipline, but are not disciplined in their own homes. They cannot face the discipline in the association, so they have refused to join the association. The discipline, in our days, is quite different from this; you must respect your call time. When it is three o’clock, you say it’s three o’clock, you must respect that call time. But now, a star can come and say, I was so tired and I couldn’t get a driver. Some excuses are not tenable in this profession. It happens now. So it’s quite different in our time. No. Who are you? Even if you are playing the lead, I would say, leave my sets, that’s why, up till now, in any of my movies, I’ve adopted that one, right from the stage. I would double-cast. If one is not serious, I would take the second one, which is what we call double casting.
What if one of them is dead serious? What happens to the extra cast?
One will be better than one. I would take the better one, then the other one will say, you are on standby, so you will get paid, it doesn’t matter, and you will get paid.
Why should anyone going to the cinema pick ‘Her Excellency’ over any other film in the generation?
I would. I would implore them to take ‘Her Excellency,’ because I don’t want to condemn any other films in the cinema. What is in my film is that you will be entertained, you will be informed, and I will educate you. That is the reason why you should pick ‘Her Excellency.’ ‘Her Excellency,’ to me now, is the best cinema out there. You cannot compare the old experience to the present one. I know everything, including the culture itself, is dynamic. You move with time, go and see ‘Her Excellency,’ pick it, watch it, try to digest it properly, and see yourself in it.
