Nigerian Movie Star Profile
Oby Kechere (Ms
Koi-koi)
Take it or leave it, there’s so much happening in the Nigerian movie
industry (aka Nollywood). Controversy today, hullabaloo the next.
Whatever the qualm though, it hasn’t yet taken away the fact that the
practioners are having a ball- by hook or by crook.
If the actress is not accusing the male producer of angling to sleep with
her in exchange for a movie role, he is firing back that those are empty
barrels that make the loudest noise. Yet, the messy allegations have refused
to die down over the years.
The accusations and counter-accusations, however, underscore one thing:
There is no smoke without fire.
In the face of all these, who among the Nollywood gals would be candid
enough to call a spade a spade?
Actress and movie director, Oby Kechere alias Ms Koi-Koi braved it last week
in Lagos when she spoke with Sunday Sun. For her, the issue of sexual
harassment in Nollywood is no big deal.
“I keep telling people that the issue of sexual harassment or somebody
wanting to sleep with you before you can get a movie role is not an issue at
all.”
Amazed? She thinks so not because it is non-existent in Nollywood. It is not
peculiar to Nollywood either.
The Mbaise, Imo State-born actress believes she’s mature enough to chose who
to go to bed with, regardless of any coincidence in profession. According to
her, it is only proper for members of the opposite sex to be attracted to
each other regardless of where they find themselves. Thus, she sees nothing
wrong in dating a guy she admires, notwithstanding that they share the same
profession.
“These things do not happen only in the movie industry, it happens
everywhere,” she argues.
And by way of asking, Ms Koi-Koi wants to know: “What’s wrong with that?”
She rationalizes: “Anywhere you have men and women working together, there
would always be the tendency for the men to ask the women out. And there is
also the tendency for the women to admire the men, which is a normal thing.”
Koi-Koi continues: “That sexual harassment exists in the Nigerian movie
industry is not even an issue to discuss at all. If you are a woman and no
man admires you, then you are in trouble. Meaning that something must
definitely be wrong with you. And if you are a man, and all through your
life, no woman has admired you, you must seek help fast.”
Speaking further, the women affair actress said, though she is not
supporting immorality in anyway, the issue of sexual harassment has nothing
to do with the movie in industry in particular. As long as you are a lady or
a girl, married or not, men will go after you. Even in the north, where
women cover almost every part of their body, people still go after them.
Forget the issue of being a producer or director, a man will always be a
man. And if he’s asking you out, it is left to you to say ‘yes’ or ‘no.’
“Most people who talk about being harassed by movie directors and producers
are those that have nothing to offer. Some girls harass the men through
their indecent dressing, yet they do not know. I mean you cannot leave your
house dressed half-naked, with your boobs outside and you expect men to look
the other way, it is impossible. They will look and even want to feel what
they are seeing. It is not only in the movie industry that these things
happen, it happens everywhere. It happens in the banks. It happens in the
schools. It happens everywhere, why make it an issue in the movie industry?”
Love life
My father is my first husband, no. Jesus is my first husband. My father is
closer to my heart, he is my darling and he is enjoying what I am doing. In
fact, all my family members are the ones enjoying what I am doing even more
than I am. Can you imagine that my mother no longer calls me by the name she
gave me. She now calls me Ms Koi Koi. Anytime she calls me on phone, you
will hear: ‘Ms Koi Koi, how far?’ All my siblings are enjoying my job. They
are all wonderful people giving me every support. That is all you need to
know about my love life for now.
Nollywood and I
It’s been up and down, good and bad. Sometimes enjoyable, sometimes
difficult, sometimes painful, but so far so good. Some of the ups may be
because one is a woman who decided to go into directing believed to be a
terrain exclusively reserved for the male folks. So, to really measure up,
you have to go the extra mile to prove yourself. So far, I have acted in
about twenty movies since I joined the industry in 2002 courtesy of my
younger sister. My intention was to do an office job when I was leaving
school but my siblings thought otherwise. I am having the fun of my life in
the industry. I have also directed one movie and there are many in the
pipeline. The industry has been good to me at least I can take care of my
bills and sometimes look back home. So I am going to stay here for a long
time to come. In the movie industry, you do not have a retirement date so I
am going to remain in the industry as long as I live. The more you grow, the
more your age determines the role you play. Until I am not able to walk
again, maybe that will be when to start thinking of retirement. For now, I
have not even started.
FILMOGRAPHY: Aki Na Ukwa, Royal Palace, American Husband, Beyond Death, DR Thomas, GSM Wahala, He Goat, My Time, Onye Obioma, Safe Journey, Secrets Of The Heart, This world Na pawpaw, Women Affair, True Vindication and more
Tel:571-247-2679 email:contact@nigeriamovies.net
