Actor, Saheed Balogun, has remained relevant in the movie industry for over three decades. With less than one month to his 50th birthday, the outspoken actor who said he would leave no stone unturned to make the day memorable, recalls his early days in the industry and how he wants to approach life now, in this interview with SEGUN ADEBAYO.
You are going to be 50 years old in February and you seem to have started making plans to have a big do of the day. What do you think about hitting the golden age?
I feel great looking forward to the day I will clock 50 years old. The day is special to me, just as it is to a lot of people, who have known me since the journey started. The journey has not been rosy all the years but, I have enjoyed one thing- God’s grace. I am not the best but God, in His mercies, discovered me and placed my feet on this journey. I am grateful to God for how far I have come but, I am even more thankful for the years ahead, because I know He would see me through.
How big are you celebrating the day?
Well, I think people can call me the golden boy. I am the President of the Golden Movie Ambassadors. I am clocking the golden age in a month’s time and I think I have a golden touch. So, I will prefer to be called the golden boy on that day. I really don’t want to be celebrated but, I want to use the rest of my life to touch people’s lives. On that day, I will be launching a compendium of the movies I have produced. I am also going to launch my songs. There are a number of activities lined up but I don’t want to reveal much now. You are one of the few people that I would personally reach out to when the time comes. You should expect to see all the trappings of a first class birthday celebration on that day.
There are quite a number of events that have occurred in your life in the last 50 years which would you describe as the most challenging?
The truth is that if you know me quite well, you would know that I am a forward-looking person. As long as I live, occurrences will not cease to happen. Maybe, a bigger one is yet to happen, I don’t know. So, if I pick one as the most challenging now, I am assuming that I am nearing my end. I think the most important thing to do every day of one’s life is to keep thanking God while one works assiduously on the things to make life more meaningful for others. All the events that have happened, the good and the bad, have shaped my thinking. Of course, I have had my flaws. I have had the worst moments. I had a terrible auto accident some years back, one that almost silenced my life. In fact, a lot of people had concluded that Saheed Balogun could not survive it, but here I am today. So, you can’t really tell how beautiful your story would end, but you can write a beautiful story with your life while you can.
I have had the most beautiful moments. A lot of people know my story but, they may not know it all, because even me, I can’t tell my whole story without missing out one or two touching experiences. For me, I am here today because Almighty Allah granted me the grace to be here and I want to live every moment of my life thanking Him for His mercy over my life. As long as life continues, we can’t run away from challenges. What I usually tell people is that my life is an example of a man with plenty of grace. At this point in my life, I want to take things easy and be happy as much as I can. I don’t want to keep anybody in my resentment. It is a new dawn.
What are the things you would like to drop now?
I think I have to stop being stubborn, as some people will always say that Saheed is stubborn, I want to approach life with care now. I want to slow down on certain things and approach life with utmost carefulness. Also, I want to stop making trouble. I want to take things the way they come.
Talking about a new dawn in your life, what’s the true state of things between you and your ex-wife, Fathia?
I knew you would come up with this question and I already have a response for you. Everybody wants to know what’s going on between Fathia and I. The truth is that I am not getting younger again. At 50, there are certain things I shouldn’t allow to tie me down again. I want to free my mind now. Fathia is not getting younger too, don’t forget. What I can tell you about us is that everybody will end up smiling at the end of the day. At this stage, I don’t want to put the wrong words out there. I am not even interested in all of that right now. This is Saheed Balogun’s interview not the other way round.
It would be the biggest surprise should you guys reconcile, do you see that happening?
There is nothing surprising about it. Again, I maintain that we will be happy at the end of the day. We will end up smiling. There isn’t much to say about that, as we speak. I am happy for her.
You campaigned rigorously for the second term ambition of Governor Abiola Ajimobi, but many people are still surprised that you are not a member of his cabinet. What exactly went wrong between you and the governor?
Nothing went wrong between the governor and I. Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State is someone I respect so much because he doesn’t forget you. I wouldn’t be able to reveal the extent of our discussion to you right now because it will be unfair of me. But, I can tell you that, I have a very cordial relationship with the governor. That I am not a member of the executive council now does not mean I wouldn’t be later. People always want their permutations to go the way they have planned but, things don’t always work out that way. As long as the governor and I still have a smooth relationship, I am contented. People should just be patient. A lot of new things would come up shortly after my 50th birthday.
Is it true that you are thinking about contesting for an elective post in 2019?
Why not wait till 2019 and see if I will contest or not. I don’t know who told you I will contest or not. Don’t let us be too anxious about tomorrow. Right now, I am concentrating on movies. I am going to release two new movies this year. Let’s talk about my career now and not another career that I may or may not be involved in.
As the President of TGMA, what are your achievements so far?
We have done quite a lot. Just in few weeks back, we decided to empower wives of late male actors in the ‘Yoruba-speaking’ movies. These people have suffered for this industry yet their families have been abandoned. This is why we made it a point of duty to assist them, especially some of them with the talents of singing and composing. We have to learn how to help others who are in need. They are part of us and we have to show that we care about them. The little we do for them today will go a long way in making them feel important. That’s why I have decided to even empower them more on the day of my birthday. If you look at the industry, you would see a lot of successful veteran actresses doing great exploits. These people would be available to talk to the women on how to make their lives better by being committed to their craft.
You are yet to be known with any brand as an ambassador. Don’t you think some of the scandals that rocked your career and private life could be responsible for this?
That’s not true. What do you mean by scandals, if I may ask? Some of the things you call scandals were media creations; that some people who felt they needed to keep feeding the people junks created. Some of the things you read were not true. We had said too much at that time, but by the time we realised the damage it had caused, it was too late. So, since then, I have learnt to keep quiet and just observe. But, that does not mean my life has not been progressing because I am not known with the popular brands like some of my colleagues.
It is believed that your crashed marriage with Fathia and other events that followed could be a major reason.
Well, that’s your opinion. As far as I know, I have turned down a lot of offers because I wouldn’t want to be restricted. When you sign for some of these companies, you will be told that you can’t do this or that. For someone like me, who does not like to be caged, I would rather not pen such deals. The Saheed Balogun brand is huge and those who have worked with me can attest to the fact that I don’t like to blow the trumpet. I have seen it all. I am happy with my life. You will see the new me in February when I clock 50.
and then