The simmering tension between two of Nollywood’s biggest filmmakers, Kunle Afolayan and Funke Akindele, escalated over the weekend, with Afolayan revealing that the box-office queen called him in a rage to demand he keep her name out of his interviews.
Afolayan disclosed the confrontation during a media chat on Sunday, stating that Akindele called him yesterday (Saturday) to express her displeasure over his recent comments regarding cinema marketing strategies.
According to the Anikulapo director, the conversation was brief and hostile.
“Funke Akindele called me yesterday and yelled at me. She said, ‘Mr. Afolayan, I know you don’t like me but stop mentioning my name in your interviews.’ Then she cut the call on me.”Afolayan said on Arise TV.
The friction appears to stem from comments Afolayan made recently at a film business forum attended by cinema operators.
At the event, stakeholders had pressed the filmmaker on when he would return to theatrical releases.
His response that he would only return if he could make good money was perceived by some as a subtle jab at the current trend of high-grossing cinema films, a space dominated by Akindele.
“I think there is more to this,” Afolayan admitted, reacting to the phone call. “I was at a film business forum and there were cinema operators there. They were asking me when I would return to the cinema and I replied that I would not return except if I can make good money.”
Despite the heated exchange, Afolayan insisted he holds no grudge against Akindele.
He expressed confusion over her reaction (“I don’t know what got into Funke”) and sought to clarify his stance on her promotional tactics, specifically the dance videos she uses to market her films.
“I never said she should not dance,” Afolayan clarified. “I am not against anybody’s initiatives.”
To bolster his claim of support, Afolayan referenced a recent engagement in Northern Nigeria where he publicly praised Akindele as a role model for aspiring filmmakers.
“I have nothing against Funke. I was at a film festival in Kaduna last week and I told young people there to adopt her as a model. I will look for the video and post it,” he said.
As of press time, Funke Akindele has not issued a public counter-statement regarding the phone call.