Veteran actress Bimbo Akintola has decried what she describes as Nollywood’s drift from passion and creativity to an obsession with glamour, looks, and cosmetic procedures such as Brazilian Butt Lifts (BBL).
Speaking in a recent interview, Akintola contrasted the industry’s early days with its present state, lamenting that the hunger and grit that once defined Nollywood have largely disappeared.
“The Nollywood now, the passion is gone. When we started, when we joined the industry, it was passion-driven. Hunger. How much were people being paid? It wasn’t a lot of money,” she said.
“But the passion to just make a difference, to do something that you felt was your reason for being in… every person that we met was on that same level of passion. You had people who would not sleep… who’s talking about food? Who’s talking about working 12 or 14 hours? You work till you finish. It wasn’t about glamour. Our work is gritty sometimes.”
Akintola noted that today’s Nollywood is more concerned with appearances than storytelling. “We’re more concerned about outfits. We’re more concerned about how we look. Which is why there’s generally a spike in BBL. Everybody’s BBLing. Because it’s now about looks, and it’s not about content. Looks will fade,” she added.
The actress, however, praised stage actors for retaining the passion she says has been lost in film. “I think when you do stage, you still get that passion. You still see passion-driven people who just want to do their best in front of the audience,” she said.
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