When Bukky Ajayi passed on, it would not be totally wrong to say the Nollywood industry caught some fever. Her death was celebrated, largely due to her contribution to the growth of the movie industry and the motherly figure she played to all and sundry.
A new movie, Hakkunde, which is presently enjoying viewership in cinemas, is largely said to be the last movie the veteran actress featured in. The movie tells a story of a young graduate’s battle (Akande) on his journey to self-discovery and actualisation.
Speaking at the press screening, the producer of ‘Hakkunde,’ Asurf Oluseyi, said that they were on the verge of filming, when Bukky Ajayi died, but he had already taken some personal clips of her.
He explained, “Two weeks to shooting, we lost Bukky Ajayi, who was playing Mama Akande (mother of the lead actor). There was pressure to change the character, but I said it would be a disrespect from my side because I actually cast and met mama before other characters in the film. She was excited and she said she wanted to do it with us.”
Oluseyi recalled that when the news hit the public, he put a call through to the screenwriter so as to look for ways to retain mama. According to him, since her role had little to do with her physical presence, he knew they could make it happen.
The director also explained that it was deliberate casting Frank Donga as Akande because he felt he shared the same struggle with the lead character.
“When I was casting, I wanted an existing character that had the same struggle with Akande but he must be likeable, too. We cast Toyin Abraham for marketing and humour sake,” he said.
Frank Donga admitted he was so excited to get the chance to work with the late Bukky Ajayi, as he grew up watching her on screen.
“We were shooting Wedding Parry 1, when the producer told me that Mama Ajayi would be my mother. I grew up watching her; I was excited to work with her. He then called me one afternoon that we had a problem. I am a filmmaker myself and I understand the challenges we face. When he told me mama was dead, it was a big blow because I knew he had gone to interview her and I had seen some clips. But like most creative filmmakers, you would try to see how you can make the best of a situation. I was really disappointed, when I heard she was dead because I was looking forward to working with her. But I am happy with the way we were able to retain her as Akande’s mother in the movie and I believe it added much difference to it,” he said.
