Comedy can be used to tell serious stories — Funke Akindele

A popular actress and filmmaker, Funke Akindele, has said that serious messages can also be passed using comedy.

Speaking about blending comedic and dramatic elements in her recent movie, Battle on Buka Street, Akindele told Sunday Scoop, “While telling a Nigerian story, one must be dynamic in defining the genre. As much as we want to tell a serious story, comedy is a tool used to subtly touch topical issues in society. Our audience should be able to relate and laugh with our relatable stories, while still putting deep thoughts into the issues touched. The aim for making the movie was to inform, educate and entertain our audience.”

Akindele added that she was always intentional about all her contents having messages for viewers.

Speaking on how ‘Yejide’, her character in the movie inspired her, she said, “I found the way she loves and her strength inspiring; in addition to the way she has had to struggle from a young age up until the end. She struggled for a place at home, struggled for her children and her love. It’s very similar to my life, so it was not difficult channelling that into bringing the character to life.”

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The actress also stated that the cast and crew aimed to promote unity in diversity with the movie. She said, “The goal was to have a touch everywhere in the film to signify unity, and what better way to depict that than in the use of language and food? We made sure to represent different cultures and their native delicacies in the movie. It was very important that everyone was well represented.”

The award-winning actress also stated that though the box office records shattered by the movie were gratifying, her motivation was always to make good movies.

On the lessons inherent in the movie, which can be accessed on the Amazon Prime streaming platform, the Jenifa’s Diary actress said, “We hope they can learn to love themselves. Only then will they be able to love those around them. We have in one way or the other developed a habit of inheriting other people’s enemies, which was the origin of the problems faced in the Maduka household in the movie. In other words, personal growth can only be attained through self-love.”