The fact that we act in indigenous movies does not mean we are not learned-Remi Oshodi ‘Surutu’
Nollywood has grown in leaps and bound- Remi Oshodi ‘Surutu’
My musical album is in the works- Remi Oshodi ‘Surutu’
She is known to play her role perfectly well in a movie, she has featured in many movies, she started acting in the movie Sparks and Village Headmaster on NTA, and she started acting in 1985. Remi Oshodi popularly known as Remi surutu came into limelight in the movie ‘’Surutu’’. Remi lost her first daughter to Sickle Cell Anaemia in July; despite the loss, the thespian has been able to pull herself together and has begun storming locations. In this chat with MUTIAT ALLI, she spoke about what she has been up to, her recording studio, coping with her loss amongst others.
A year ago you launched a recording studio, why not the usual trends by your colleagues?
The reason, firstly I have to say thank you to my God and next to my younger brother because he encouraged me into this kind of thing, he opened it actually for me, he said to me that if I say to you I want to do this, he actually didn’t let me know he want to do this, if he says to me he want to do this, I will tell to bring the money and go to America to enjoy, he is my immediate younger brother, but he said he want to keep his secret to himself and break it out to me when he is back I Nigeria, I thank God I am able to give back to the industry, am into entertainment but into act, but this time around it is into music industry and am going to use this medium at the same time to encourage the upcoming ones to give them opportunity, fine we are going to have a rate, a strict rate for the artiste, at the same time upcoming ones can be encouraged because if you say you want to be blind at everything, you want to be business conscious and all that, in the process you are not imputing Into the industry you have to have a way of imputing into the industry, by giving the upcoming ones room to show their ability to prove to the world that they can and that is the reason why Ever Blues Studio is here.
With a recording studio, are there plan for a record label soonest?
Definitely we will have a record label soon, you can’t have a studio like this and you end up there.
What are your plans to break even?
We started with something good Just wait and watch, you will still come to interview me say oh you have done it and you said so.
Am a lover of music, the industry is not properly structured and there are several challenges, how do you intend facing the challenges.
For me to be able to survive in the industry of act why will I not survive here, it is a question of time to fit Into the system and when you fit in the system and you are down to it you will be able to go, it is only when you come and you are sitting on top them saying you are this, you are that when you can’t move but if you are down to it you are ready to learn, the ability to fall is not what matters but the ability to fall and rise again, when you are able to learn to be on the track, despite the fact that there are other studios am not ready to run any studio down, ready to marry them and gain more ideas from them to grow but when I come and start shoeing this studio is this, we might end up not growing, I am very sur am going to grow so wild.
I listened to a song of yours and I wonder why you have not launched out?
Well, I am just taking my time; music is something I have always loved while growing up; I used to be a chorister and I am still a member of the choir in my church. I’ve recorded some songs but I decided not to release them yet; they are still there in the studio.
So we should be expecting an album from you?
Yes.
What kind of album would it be?
It would be a gospel album. I just want to use the album to thank God for everything that has happened in my life.
What is stopping you from releasing the album?
Nothing is stopping me other than I am trying to get back to my normal self. I just want to be normal so that I am able to do more.
You could still have done that with any other genre of music?
It is because that has been the way I was raised up. I have always been a mummy’s pet and a church girl. It was when I grew up that I became a tomboy and you should also know that this acting profession makes you become whoever you want to be. While we were growing up, we would wake up about 6 am to get ready for school but before anyone left the house, we would pray for a long duration of time. On Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, we had church programmes that we had to attend with our mother. Then on Sunday, we had to go to church, that was very compulsory. Then if you did not freshen up on time, you would have to go to church without eating breakfast. When I became an adult, I was so happy because I felt I could do whatever I wanted, I could sleep till as late as I wanted but I never for once forgot my background.
With so much delivery expectations from you; don’t you think it might affect you balancing acting and managing here?
Well for now, you know every other person have their boutique and all that they still go to act so what is stopping me, nothing is stopping me. Everything is about proper timing.
Are you aware that a lot of people would be surprised at your level of English fluency?
Yes, I am aware. People say that a lot. There are times that I am at the airport and when I speak fluent English to the immigration officers, they are usually taken aback. A lot of times when I am at the bank for a transaction, most of the bankers are quick to greet me in Yoruba but when I reply them in English with my accent, they begin to look at themselves in amazement. When I ask what the problem is, most of them open up to me that they did not expect me to speak so eloquently. I just tell them sorry but they don’t expect me to be the same person they see in the movies. The fact that we act in indigenous movies does not mean we are not learned; 90% of Yoruba actors are graduates; the thoughts that we can’t express ourselves in English needs to stop.
Are you selective in your script?
well, yes and sometimes when I don’t want to work with you I can give you bills so that you can just go away, my skin need rest, I don’t want stress but sometimes you don’t even pay at all and I will work for you because I love to act that very role.
Every Nollywood actor still have their dream role, do you still have any dream role that you are still projecting that you want to do
No because I have died in a movie, I have gone mad in a movie, I have acted as an imbecile, and I don’t know what else.
In the last few years we have seen several Nollywood films go to festival and do well, do you think we attaining out stories in the right way
it is two ways, you can’t compare yourself with America, the Bollywood they have been doing their movies for ages, we grew up watching Indian movies, we are still coming up, so at the end of the day one day we will get there. As a matter of fact, the industry has grown drastically in terms of movie production and technique; we actors are now well groomed. We have competed with top movies in cinemas and came out real good.
If you were not an actress what other professions would you have opted for?
I am not someone that can be easily predicted. There was a time I used to work at the funeral home, Ebony Casket, to be precise. I dined with the living and the dead. I worked at LASUTH inside the morgue with Aunty Taiwo Ogunsola.
What movie are you currently working on?
To be honest, I have been on set for a while and I have lost count of the jobs I have been pre-occupied with. I was on the set of ‘Gold Status’ by Tade Ogidan, which he says is for international film festivals. I am also a part of ‘Face2face rebranded,’ I have other works lined up for me; presently I am in Ibadan onset of a new TV series
How have you been holding up since the death of your daughter?
God has been so awesome to me. I had cried for a long while before you came into this place but I promised that I would hold myself all through this interview. I knew you would ask this question, so I promised to hold my tears but it is quite an impossible task (sobs). I must confess to you, I really miss my daughter, I miss her every day, and I miss her so much because she was my partner and everything. She had a younger sister and we were all close. I must confess to you, for the rest of my life, I would never forget about her (sobs). I put her clothes in between mine and her shoes as well. So for me not to run mad, whenever I am picking my clothes, I pick hers up as well and say, ‘Ayomikun I miss you, I love you and I know you are still with me.’ When I am picking my shoes, I look at hers and say, “Ayo, look at your shoes here. (Sobs). Please come and pick your shoes.” Some people tell me to delete her messages, videos and pictures from my phone but I cannot, we would live together till we meet again. In order to immortalize her, I am putting finishing touches on a foundation in her memory.
