‘I’m not retiring anytime soon’ No comparison in industry, says Saidi Balogun

Veteran Nollywood actor, Saidi Balogun is one of the most versatile ones who combines acting, producing and directing. His delivery prowess is second to none and as such he is one of the very few who created new initiatives in the industry that include being the first to produce a one cast movie.

Having been faced with several challenges; Walata as he is sometimes called, is still waxing stronger. In this chat with OMONIYI ALLI, he bares it all.

You are a big name in the movie industry. You have appeared in English movies as well. But people still believe that the Yoruba movie industry has a long way to go if it would meet up with its foreign counterparts?

I don’t think those who are saying that are correct. The Yoruba movie industry is big and growing every day. I don’t like to comment on this unnecessary comparison that has been dividing us over a long time. We are all practitioners and we are doing very well.

There is nothing there to catch up, we just have to keep getting better and put our house in order. No association is perfect but we can get better by putting the right structure on ground so that people would not have to keep looking at A as being better than B.

I have appeared in countless English and Yoruba movies and I can tell you that there is no difference. The only difference is the expression. I am not ruling out the fact that we have a lot of work to do, but I would not deride the actors and actresses who toil every day to make sure that they keep their fans entertained. There is no comparison so to say; we are all under one umbrella tagged ‘Nollywood’.

Your new movie Online is currently doing well. What is the inspiration behind the movie?

Like I always say, I am in the era of rebranding myself and on that note was when I shot the movie ‘Online’. With the movie I try as much as possible to make a lot of youths especially know that they can’t always get away with anything they post online because nobody seems to be censoring their contents. The movie is also to generally erase the notion that only criminal stuffs are done online.

You double as the Director of Media for Adron Homes; does that mean you are turning back on acting?

Turning my back on acting? That is never going to happen. Let me state it here clearly that my deal with Adron will not affect my job as an actor and movie producer. Back then when the company contacted me, I took my time to study the brand and discovered that they worthy companies and also I discovered that the only common thing that gives many Nigerians problem is the issue of housing. So, if a company is giving Nigerians the opportunity to become land and house owners in the most simplest and affordable way, I think it should be commended.

How have you been handling this knowing your busy schedules on set?

I understand what my job entails as the director of media, and I am ready giving my best.

But you have been an actor all your life. How will you cope with this new assignment?

As an actor of many years in the game, I have worked with media executives at different times over the years. I have executed a number of projects involving the media in the last six years or more. So, this is a familiar terrain. Some of my friends in the media would come in handy this time.

I have a team of experts that I would be working with. The job is not going to be as difficult. I am up to the task. I am grateful to the Group Managing Director of Adron Homes and Properties, Oba Adetola Emmanuel King, for the big role he wants me to play.

For Saidi Balogun, how did the journey into the movie world start?

I was born in Enugu, grew up in the north and I am a Yoruba boy. I lived with a man who did a lot of French. I can speak the 3 languages and it has been helping me. From the word go my mum knew I would become a good actor.

My father was a soldier and a comedian although he didn’t commercialize his own but I am doing it now. I also have guardians in the industry, Madam Saje, Yinka Quadri, Lola Idije etc they helped me grow. I finished my secondary school in 1978 Madam Saje drove me back 8 years after.

Lola Idije was always providing money for me any time I had issues at School. They have been calling me Jide Kosoko’s boy and I remain his boy.

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You are at the 5th floor now. What do think you about life at the moment?

I have had the most beautiful moments. A lot of people know my story but, they may not know it all, because even me, I can’t tell my whole story without missing out one or two touching experiences.

For me, I am still here today because Almighty Allah granted me the grace to be here and I want to live every moment of my life thanking Him for His mercy over my life.

As long as life continues, we can’t run away from challenges. What I usually tell people is that my life is an example of a man with plenty of grace. At this point in my life, I want to take things easy and be happy as much as I can. I don’t want to keep anybody in my resentment. It is a new dawn.

What are the things you engaged in before now that you can no longer do because of your age?

I have really experimented and introduced new innovations before, my records speak for me. However, I want to promote the culture of this country now, more so I want to focus on improving the production aspect of it.

There are quite a number of events that have occurred in your life in the last few years. Which would you describe as the most challenging?

The truth is that if you know me quite well, you would know that I am a forward-looking person. As long as I live, occurrences will not cease to happen. Maybe, a bigger one is yet to happen, I don’t know. So, if I pick one as the most challenging now, I am assuming that I am nearing my end.

I think the most important thing to do every day of one’s life is to keep thanking God while one works on the things to make life more meaningful for others. All the events that have happened, the good and the bad, have shaped my thinking.

Of course, I have had my flaws. I have had the worst moments. I had a terrible auto accident some years back, one that almost claimed my life. In fact, a lot of people had concluded that Saheed Balogun could not survive it, but here I am today. So, you can’t really tell how beautiful your story would end, but you can write a beautiful story with your life while you can.