Tears of joy as associates celebrate TK
Celebration of the 70th birthday of ace
film-maker, Tunde Kelani, peaked on Thursday with moving reminiscences,
AKEEM LASISI writes
Tears of joy flowed freely at Freedom
Park, Lagos, on Thursday when colleagues, mentees and associates
celebrated leading cinematographer and film producer, Tunde Kelani, as
part of his 70th birthday treat.
At the programme tagged, Art House Forum
and organised by iRep Documentary Project and the Committee for
Relevant Arts, many members of the arts community, including the Nobel
laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, congratulated the man generally regarded
as an icon and one of the pillars behind the success of the industry.
The tears that flowed were not just the
figurative; some were indeed literal. While actor and broadcaster, Yemi
Shodimu, relived his experience when he worked with Kelani’s Mainframe
Productions, a broadcaster and producer, Jide Moronfolu, could not
control his emotion as he recalled the roles that TK played in his
growth.
At the event compered by Jahman
Anikulapo, Shodimu noted that Kelani was down to earth as an
entrepreneur and as a human being. He said he enjoyed every second he
spent with TK, to the point that at the time he needed to move on, he
found it impossible to directly communicate it to TK.
The man who played the lead role in Kelani’s film, O Le Ku,
said, “I was too deep in Mainframe; too deep in TK. So, how could I
walk up to him and say, “I am leaving’? We could eat bread, we could
take garri when occasion called for it. But come what may, even if
heaven was going to fall, for TK, the workers’ salaries must first be
paid.”
Moronfolu noted that he knew nothing
about film and TV production as of 1993 when he completed his National
Youth Service Corps programme. Someone had introduced him to Kelani.
But because he was a jittery novice the Mainframe boss did not know what
to do with him for some time. Along the line, he trained him, first
with the aim of sending him to work at Africa Independent Television station, but later changed his mind and eventually retained him.
It was, however, when Moronfolu began to
highlight specific near-providential interventions that Kelani made in
his life that he began to shed tears.
While a long-term associate of TK, Wale
Fani of Cinecraft fame, also dug into an eventful history they shared,
saying they benefitted from solid training and love for the work and not
for money, award-winning documentary film-maker, Femi Odugbemi, noted
that Kelani’s impact was real globally.
According to him, through commitment to
professionalism, culture development and mentorship, he had helped to
shape the industry. Noting that TK never lacked in humility, Odugbemi
said, “He was the face of Nigerian cinema for more than a decade.”
Also at the programme, which dovetailed
into performances and more tributes, were legendary footballer, Chief
Segun Odegbami, and several film-makers that included Mamood
Alli-Balogun and Kunle Afolayan, who also celebrated TK with kind words.
A documentary produced by Afolayan was also screened.
At the late evening segment anchored by
actor and culture promoter, Ropo Ewenla, there were more tributes while
afro singer, Edaoto, also serenaded TK. The event was rounded off with
the screening of his latest film, Sidi Ilujinle, an adaptation of
Soyinka’s The Lion and the Jewel, which stars Adebayo Salami, Ibrahim
Chatta and Ayisat Onitiri as Sidi.
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