Kunle Afolayan, a Nigerian actor and film producer, has spoken about the difficulties he and the cast had while making his film, Anikulapo.
During an interview on Nidacity, the host asked Afolayan how he came up with some of the things he had made. He noted that many of his ideas stemmed from a drive to find solutions.
Kunle Afolayan Reveals Accommodation Challenges on ‘Anikulapo’ Set
Afolayan described the problems the cast and crew encountered while filming Anikulapo. According to him, the production team had no adequate housing and had to squat in people’s homes in the village. 
He explained that actors such as Sola Sobowale and Bimbo Ademoye also had to adjust to the situation during the production.
“Most of the things that I have done were informed by me trying to solve problems. When we shot the Anikulapo film, we didn’t have accommodation, so we were like squatting in people’s houses. You can imagine stars like Sola Sobowale, Bimbo Ademoye; they all brought their cotton. Sola Sobowale brought a freezer because we were living in the village,” he said.
How ‘Anikulapo’ Inspired Afolayan to Build a Film Resort
The experience made Afolayan realise that the situation needed to change. He said he decided that the cast and crew could not continue living under such conditions.
“And then I said to myself that this cannot be. So I said we can’t live like this and we need to start building accommodation,” he added.
Afolayan said they eventually started building accommodation, which has now grown into a film resort with about 100 rooms.
READ ALSO: Funke Akindele vs. Kunle Afolayan: Should Filmmakers Dance to Sell Movies?
He explained that the resort also has leisure horses and now attracts people looking for a getaway. He added that people also use the destination to celebrate birthdays and other occasions.
According to Afolayan, the resort has also attracted expatriates and has become a destination for visitors.
“Everybody who has been there, in fact we have some expatriates, and there has never been anything privately owned of this standard in West Africa,” he said.
Afolayan’s experience during the production of Anikulapo shows how challenges on a film set can inspire solutions that extend beyond filmmaking. What started as a response to accommodation problems has grown into a destination that now serves filmmakers, visitors and people looking for a place to relax.
About The Author
