Professors clash over 'Anikulapo' - Kunle Afolayan

Afolayan said there had been a lot of criticism of his new movie, Anikulapo.

Actor and movie producer, Kunle Afolayan, has disclosed that his latest offering, 'Anikulapo' has sparked a clash and debate among professors.

Pulse reports that 'Anikulapo', a Netflix original movie debuted on October 1, 2022, to instant acclaim from critics and film lovers.

During a recent interview with Guardian UK, the award-winning filmmaker revealed that the movie was initially conceived to be a series, but was later chopped into a movie following the instruction by Netflix, who also promised to pursue a series if the movie became a success.

Meanwhile, while talking as a panelist during a session on telling indigenous stories at the ongoing 'Africa International Film Festival,' Afolayan admitted that there had been a lot of criticism of his movie.

Afolayan's word: “Staying true to our stories is very important. I have seen a lot of films done by Americans telling African stories. Yet, some people who are Yoruba will see some movies done in Yoruba and say something is not being done right. Some look at it from the point of view of language, some from the angle of costume, while others look at it from the perspective of history.

"There has been a lot of thesis, criticism and debate over my film, with professors having clashes (over them). For example, a professor of history could say, ‘That is not the history of Oyo’. A professor of film would also say, ‘You are the one bringing history to a film class’. For me, that is interesting. It opens up conversations.”

Afolayan, who also stated that he considered it notable that people were now being remunerated for telling indigenous stories, said, “the icing on the cake is that one is making a living from doing something indigenous, and one is also being commissioned to do more. I feel that is the way to go.”

It would be recalled that 'Anikulapo' maintained an impressive top 10 spot in over five countries including the United Kingdom, Kenya, Nigeria and the Bahamas.