Nollywood needs more creative content —Rokanmi Orunmuyi

Rokanmi Orunmuyi is an actress and film maker who wants to tell stories that would change lives. In this interview with ROTIMI IGE, she speaks about her latest online talk show, ‘The Chat Room’, her upcoming projects, among other issues.

 

What inspired you to create your talk show ‘The Chat Room’?

I love entertainment and also like to describe myself as a change agent. The show helps me merge my passion for entertainment with my desire to bring about social change. I believe entertainment is a very powerful instrument which can be used to shape perspectives, address social ills as well as change narratives, and that is what I hope to achieve with the talk show.

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What problems do you hope to solve using the platform?

I’m passionate about using entertainment as a tool for social change. I believe ignorance is one of the major factors impeding our development as a nation and I hope to, in my own little way, tackle it through knowledge and information sharing that will help to promote personal development thereby improving social welfare. I also hope to use the platform to stimulate some difficult but important and necessary conversations that we shy away from in the society.

 

Is it targeted at issues involving the female gender or is it all-encompassing?

It is not limited to issues that concern the female gender; it is all-encompassing.

 

You are also an actress.  Is this for passion or for fame/money?

Pure passion. I’ve always wanted to be an actress and film maker. As a child I used to do a lot of role plays, sometimes all by myself, acting different characters.

 

Rate the Nollywood industry at the moment and its challenges.

I think the industry has really evolved over the years, and although it’s not where it ought to be, it’s definitely growing and developing. I believe that in the not-so-distant future, Nollywood will be a force to be reckoned with in the global film industry.

 

What do you think can be done differently to further make the industry more relevant?

I think one of the areas that need improvement is the quality of our content. I think Nollywood film makers need to be more creative with their stories. We need to start producing movies that will attract the attention of viewers from all over the world.

 

Do you think female actresses/stakeholders are mostly victims of abuse in the industry?

I can’t really comment on that because I am still very new in the industry.

 

You also love cooking. Do you intend to take cuisine up professionally?

What I love is good food not cooking per se; but I think we need to be more creative with our menu in Nigeria. We need to come up with new and exciting dishes using our native foods and I hope to use entertainment to catalyse that.

 

What other projects are you involved in?

I’m working on producing my first film, and I’m very excited about it.

 

How do you relax?

The most natural and most reliable form of relaxation is sleep and I love it.

 

Tell us a bit about your fashion sense.

After entertainment, my second passion is fashion. I love fashion. When it comes to fashion, I’m usually drawn to pieces that combine simplicity with uniqueness. I am not flamboyant but I love statement pieces; whether it’s clothes, jewellery, shoes, bags etc.

 

What are your favourite fashion accessories?

My love for fashion is all encompassing. I love anything fashion.