Fiery
actress Sola Sobowale is back with a bang on the scene with her new TV series
titled ‘Nectar’ which is gaining appreciable viewership. The producer and
screenwriter who cut her teeth in moviedom when she joined the Awada Kerikeri
Group under the leadership of Adebayo Salami more than 20 years ago opens up on
a host of issues in this interview with AHMED BOULOR.
Could
you tell us about your new TV series titled ‘Nectar’?
‘Nectar’ is a new TV soap which is currently running on
TV at the moment and I am praying to God to make us run it on air for more than
two years. It is a family oriented TV series and it is a true life story. It is
a true life story because I tapped into the happenings of the lives of
individuals who I am familiar with. It teaches a whole lot of morals which the
family can gain from and the society can learn from and become better in the
long run if such morals taught are adhered to. It’s a mix match of morals and I
hope it eventually gets the much needed impact that it was set out to achieve
in the first place.
Could
you relate to a particular experience that led to your venturing into the ‘Nectar’
project?
I travelled to England about 12 years ago and I saw how
Nigerians were living their lives. Family values are gone and parents are no
longer parents. People are just giving birth to kids without giving them proper
home training. Fathers are just donating sperms every now and then and mothers
are giving birth without properly taking care of their offspring. We now even have dictators as parents and I
don’t subscribe to the fact that one should always dictate to his kids every
now and then. Parents should be more like advisers and they should ensure to
give their kids the right training.
Talking
about parenting; where do you think parents have lost it?
Parents have lost it because they have no time for their
kids but they have time for money making. Don’t get me wrong, we all need money
to get along but that should not overshadow our responsibility to be caring
parents. If you worship money, it can ruin you in the long run and it will
vanish when you least expect it. When you don’t inculcate moral values into your
kids and give them sound education the centre will not hold and things will
eventually fall apart.
Could
you tell us the involvement of your daughters in the series titled ‘Nectar’?
They both wrote the TV series because they know this is
what their mother loves doing so it is like helping their mum.
Was
their involvement in moviedom planned?
One of them is an accountant and the other is working
with an advertising agency. It is just that when they were studying for their A
levels in England; they chose script writing as an optional course and it
turning out to be useful to us at this point in time.
Which
is more profitable: producing movies or TV series?
One of the things that made me come back to producing is
the fact that I want to contribute my own quota to improving family values
which is at its lowest ebb at the moment. As a matter of fact, family values to
me are non-existent. I believe ‘Nectar’ will impact on the viewers because TV
series are aired daily unlike movies which in most cases are one-off. The
impacts of TV series are more effective and that is one of the reasons why ‘Nectar’
was conceived.
Thus
far, how are TV viewers reacting to ‘Nectar’?
So far so good, ‘Nectar’ is enjoying appreciable
viewership and we have been getting positive responses from viewers around the
country. People are gradually identifying with it and they are also keying into
the morals that the soap opera has set out to teach. The story line is suspense
filled and captivating and even on social media there is acceptance.
How
were you able put together a stellar cast for the TV series?
Most of them are my friends and they are actors whom I
have worked with in the past; the fact that most of them are my friends saved
me a lot of money as regards appearance fee. Most of them did it based on
personal recognition and to God be the glory for their support on this project.
Do
your fans see you as the iron lady like character that you normally play in
movies because you seem like an approachable person?
What you see is what you get, like I say to some people;
I am totally opposite from what you see on TV but I love it when people say
that woman is bad and aggressive. Do you know why? It shows that I know my
onions and I have been able to interpret my roles very well. If I have not been
able to do that, it means I do not know my job; Sola is totally different. She
is homely, loving, down- to-earth and most of all, an emotional person.
You
have a career that has spanned over 20 years; what would you say is your
highest point?
My highest point was when I played the role ‘Toyin
Tomato’; that role got me widespread recognition within and outside Nigeria.
Even up to Jamaica, I was surprised that when I got there, Jamaican’s
recognised me as ‘Toyin Tomato’ and they received me with open arms. It was
also the same thing in London; people recognised and identified with me when I
was in London. At this juncture, I would like to thank uncle Wale Adenuga for
giving me the opportunity to play that role.
Let’s
talk about time spent in the UK some years back; what was life like taking care
of your daughters who were in school at the time?
It was a struggle! It was serious struggle because the UK
is not my fatherland and there’s nobody there to assist you. In Nigeria, at
least you can run to your close relations for help but there, you are on your
own. You have to work really hard for everything but to God be the glory we
were able to survive.
As
an actress and producer what do you think can be done to improve the fortunes
of the movie industry?
The movie industry is not growing because we do not have
adequate support from the government. Artistes, actors and producers re-branded
the image of Nigeria years back because no one wanted to have anything to do
with Nigerians but today Nigerians are seen as creative people. Individually,
practitioners in the movie industry and most recently those in the music
industry re-branded the image of this country without the support of government
or any corporate investor. Industry practitioners have really done well in
building the movie industry but it is a pity that the standards set years ago
are falling. But because of the effect Nollywood has had on the image of this
country over the years Nigerians are respected individually but we need support
from the government.
What
about the relief fund disbursed by President Jonathan; has it in any way helped
the cause of Nollywood?
The industry was not carried along as it concerns the
intervention fund; if you ask me, I don’t know anything about the intervention
fund because nobody informed or called my attention to it.
What
has kept you going as an actress in the past 20 years?
It has been God and goodwill.
How
do you combine being a mother, an actress and a producer at the same time?
I can’t be all of that without the help of God because He
structures our lives and He is the author and finisher of our fate.
When
you left the scene some time ago most people said you left because you couldn’t
withstand competition from up and coming actresses. What do you have to say
about that assertion?
I am still relevant and will always be; I have been
receiving calls concerning my other projects which I have done in the past so I
am not running from anybody or any perceived competition. I left the scene when
I travelled abroad sometime ago and now I am back and still doing fine. Even
now, I chose the movies I take part in because I just don’t want to be seen in
any movie. I partake in movies that impact positively on people’s lives not
just any movie production.
Is
there any specific routine you go through before you go on-set considering the
fact that you deliver your lines seamlessly?
Acting is my passion and it is what I am born to do; I
put my all into it and the result is what you see in the movie productions that
I have featured in. I just try to do my best when I am on-set.
What
will make you reject a movie script?
I would reject scripts that are immoral and take scripts
that are well written and directed with fantastic actors as part of the cast. I
will accept scripts that teach moral lessons and ones that add value to the
society.
Present
day actresses think going bare will get them instant stardom which was not the
case when you started. What do you think has made the industry degenerate to
the level it is today?
I’ll not blame the actresses; they don’t know what they
are doing. I’ll also like people out there to stop blaming them. Do you know
who to blame? The blame should be placed at the doorstep of movie directors. If
a director tells an actor that you cannot wear such costumes on-set, then the
actor has no choice but to abide by the rule of the director. The director
should know the right costume for every scene because if an actor dresses nude
once, they’ll continue with that trend the next time they are on-set.
What
should your fans expect from you in the coming days?
They should expect the same Sola Sobowale they know and
they should continue to look out for ‘Nectar’ which is now on air. There are
other projects in the pipeline but I am keeping them close to my chest. I also
have an NGO I am working on and it is set-up to enhance family values.
What
will you like to be remembered for when eventually you retire from the scene?
I want to be remembered as one who contributed her quota
to the improvement of family values because I think we have lost it here and we
need urgent change in that direction.
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