Let me start by giving a big kudos to Femi Adebayo for raising the bar and elevating Yoruba Nollywood to a level that few have attained.
Coming from a family with a consistent and true legacy, it is not surprising that Femi has evolved and emerged to give us this remarkable film.
The amount of work put into creating a film that Netflix is proud to showcase is truly commendable.
While much has been said about the technical expertise, storyline, and phenomenal actors, I want to approach this review from a personal angle.
Last week, I promised to write a review but got caught up in planning my TOSSE program and forgot. However, this morning, I received a message from a dear friend and highly distinguished Nigerian, urging me to watch the film and giving it glowing reviews. He also linked it to the journey of early Nollywood Yoruba films.
This shows that with people like Femi Adebayo and Kunle Afolayan, something remarkable is happening in Yoruba Nollywood.
Looking at their pedigrees, it is evident that both Femi Adebayo and Kunle Afolayan come from families deeply rooted in the industry. Kunle Afolayan is the son of the beloved Ade Love, and Femi Adebayo is the son of the respected “Oga Bello.” Femi has undoubtedly paid his dues in the business, and it must bring great joy to his father to see him build on what he began and take it to a level he never envisioned.
This brings us to the importance of leadership and succession planning. It would be interesting to know what Ade Love and Chief Adebayo did to ensure that their children could embrace their art, make it their own, and make it relevant to today’s society in a creative and modern way while still staying true to tradition.
I believe education and exposure played a significant role in this process. The decision to stay relevant at all times, not give up, and fight through the odds to break the glass ceiling.
Congratulations, Femi… this is undoubtedly a far cry from the ANTP days.
I could go on and on about succession planning and the importance of passing the baton, but I don’t want to digress.
I hope this will serve as an encouragement to other theatre families who have built solid names to think ahead, plan ahead, and know that they can raise the bar. We have many of these families in Yorubaland that we are incredibly proud of, including Hubert Ogunde, Duro Ladipo, Kola Ogunmola, and more.
As for the film, “Jagun” is truly a great watch. It is evident that a lot of effort and passion went into its creation, and we can all be proud of the Adebayo clan.
Congratulations, Oga Bello, sir.
