Popular Yoruba actress, Iyabo Ojo has reacted to a story making rounds that her new multimillion naira movie ‘Silence’ was a flop. The pretty actress spoke exclusively to Sahara Weekly on Friday January 15, 2015 on the alleged low turn out at the cinemas and the quality of the movie which has since been a challenge for her, she said, “ the person who wrote thte story decided to carry that negative story about my movie because I had an issue with him. Although, he has promised that he is going to rewrite or retract it. There was a forum we both belong to that was initiated by Seun Oloketuyi, publisher of Best Of Nollywood magazine, called Naija Thisday.com or something like that. We were talking about politics on a day like that and I viewed my opinion that I don’t see General Buhari as a better replacement for Goodluck Jonathan and he replied that, “all artistes are beggars that we eat from the crumbs that drops from their tables and all sorts of things that he was not surprised about my take on the issue at hand”. I was so annoyed and I replied him that the little respect I had for him, I have lost it. Because I only gave my own opinion that I believed I have the right to give so, he doesn’t have to generalize and insult the whole industry just because I added a comment that I don’t believe in Buhari. We have so many artistes that are supporting Buhari but I gave my own opinion. I have not collected money from anyone of them, I only gave an opinion and he was annoyed because I said I have lost the respect I had for him and that was why he did what he did. Now, Silverbird has changed the viewing time of the movie and have given me a better time. I was asked to beg him which I did and we have settled the matter because all those that watched the movie were not disappointed at all, they all gave me kudos for such effort. He wasn’t even there, he only came in after most things have been concluded and he never gave a glance that that he was not impressed. If someone says the film wasn’t nice, I will advice you to go and watch it by yourself to judge it. In fact, a lot of people have gone to see the movie for themselves because of this report and they all gave a pass mark but, as you know, bad stories sells, it always goes viral and that was why it was everywhere. There are other good stories from the movie as well just that people loves to read bad stories”.
‘Silence’, a movie on child abuse, its consequence and how it can curbed was said to have supposed to be in the cinemas on Friday January 9, 2015, in Ikeja, Lagos, but recorded a poor turn-out, and the management was forced to shift the schedule and allocate another film to screen in the hall. On Saturday at 12: 15 pm, according to reports, the movie which paraded Nollywood starts like; Joseph Benjamin, Alex Usifo, Tina Mba, Faithia Balogun, Doris Simeon and Ronke Ojo with Iyabo Ojo, the lead actress and producer of the movie herself only had 12 people present at the cinema hall to watch the movie which was shot with tens of millions.
Ojo Isaac