Saturday 30 November 2013

With Good Pay, I’ll Act With my Ex-wife - Saheed Balogun:

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VERSATILE ACTOR, SAHEED BALOGUN HAS UNARGUABLY PAID HIS DUES. THE WELL-TONED THESPIAN ALSO MEANS MANY THINGS TO MANY PEOPLE. TO SOME, HE IS A DIVORCED ACTOR WHO IS HARDLY EVER SERIOUS ABOUT RELATIONSHIP. TO OTHERS, BALOGUN IS ONE OF THE MOST PROLIFIC ENTERTAINERS AND FILMMAKERS AROUND. INTERESTINGLY SO, FEW YEARS AFTER PARTING WAYS WITH HIS EX-WIFE AND COLLEAGUE, FATHIA, HE HAS RELEASED ANOTHER BLOCKBUSTER MOVIE ON REASONS MARRIAGES DON’T LAST. HE SHARED THIS STORY WITH LANRE ODUKOYA


ABOUT MY NEW MOVIE …
First, I need to tell those who have not seen the movie what it is based on so that they can go and watch it. The movie focuses on the reasons marriages crash.  Basically, it is a story about marriage and finding answers to the questions about the challenges of married couples. My production outfit sets records in the movie industry. I have produced a two-cast movie - one where all the characters wore Ankara fabric throughout and most recently, a movie featuring an all white cast. So, we are putting finishing touches to another innovation that will be coming out soon. Have you heard of my one-cast movie? That too is an innovation.

THE COMMERCIAL SUCCESS OF MY WORKS…
They’re marvelous. For example, in the case of my two-cast movie, initially, the marketing was not what we expected, but it picked up later and we thank God. The movie has delivered what we targeted when we began working on it. Besides, other achievements, it became the first two-cast movie in Nigeria, if not in Africa. That is a record and I set it.
HONOURS FOR JOB WELL DONE…
The two-cast movie won an award in London. In Nigeria, however, it is yet to win any. But I won’t dwell on that.

WHY CONTROVERSIES TRAIL ME…
The grace of God has kept me going. I don‘t allow scandals to affect me. You need to understand that if someone is talking about you, you have to thank God because there are people who are looking for people to talk about them. My plea to writers is that they should contact me first before writing about me. Some of the things I have read about myself are things I can’t imagine myself doing.

MY NEW RELATIONSHIP…
You see, you need to leave my relationship alone for now.  When the right time comes, I will talk about it. The story that I remarried was a funny one.

CURRENT RELATIONSHIP WITH MY EX-WIFE…
You are still talking about my privacy.

ON PRODUCERS WHO DARE TO PAIR MY EX-WIFE AND I IN MOVIES...
I am a professional in this field. I will do it, if the pay is attractive. I used to refuse to think of the possibility before, but it can actually happen. If the pay is attractive I will do the movie with her.

WHETHER OR NOT I’LL LOVE TO RETURN TO MY EX-WIFE…
I am doing perfectly fine as I am. I am happy the way God has been leading my life. I respect women a lot.

MY AFFAIRS WITH REMI ADIUKWU-BAKARE…
She is like a mentor and a mother to me. She enlightens me on business and other matters. When I left the hospital, she and her husband were the people who were there for me. I can’t forget them for any reason. I was insane for the first two weeks that I had the accident. I was a dead man walking, but God used them to bring me back to life.

BOUNCING BACK TO ANOTHER MARRIAGE…
It is a private question, but I am married to my business for now. I am married to Saidi Balogun Productions. I can marry an actress if the person is the right one God has chosen for me.

HOW I COPE WITH PIRACY…
We have cried for a long time to the government and we hope that one day they will find a solution to the menace. There is a law in Lagos State that if you are caught in the act, you will pay N50,000. In Ondo State, if you are caught selling pirated films, you will be fined. We go through a lot to produce our movies and instead of smiling to the banks, we end up not even making the production cost.

BETWEEN NOLLYWOOD AND HOLLYWOOD…
The Nigerian movie industry is growing, but we can do better. Abroad, people spend good money in producing movies and they get good returns. However, in Nigeria, once you cannot make your money in the cinema, you are dead. I am looking forward to the day piracy will be eradicated.
MUSIC AND I…
I will go back to doing music very soon, but, for now, I am focusing more on movie production. Over the years, I have learnt not to react to people’s comment about me and my career. People are naturally mischievous when they want to drag your name into the mud. If I consider myself a bad musician, I would not have ventured into it.

DEAL WITH GLOBACOM…
Indeed there was a speculation, but like you said, it was talks by some people. I don’t know anything about it. Being their ambassador is a two-way thing for me; if they approach me, I may take it and I may not. It is the condition of the deal that matters. What the organisation is doing to the industry is good, but a lot still needs to be done to move it forward.

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