TheCable

Funke Akindele, Nollywood actress and producer, has attributed her recent inactivity in the Yoruba movie industry to piracy.

While being interviewed on Africa Magic show, Gbajumo, which aired on Sunday, the actress stressed that in spite of the challenges, she can never forget her roots in the Yoruba sector of the Nigerian movie industry.

“I speak Yoruba and I got famous speaking Yoruba, I can’t forget the industry”, Akindele said.

“Piracy is really affecting us… remember that I am a producer. When I spend N10 million on a movie and the marketers are unable to sell up to 20,000 copies, where will I get my money back?

“That’s why I stopped producing to watch things for a while although I am featuring in some works that are not mine”, the actress added.

Speaking on her film training school, 39-year-old Akindele said she wishes to help upcoming actors get movie roles.

“I remember all my challenges as a budding actor, how many times I failed before I got a good role. So I decided to make life easier for the youths that are interested in acting, hence the drama school.

“The training lasts for only six months and the training is in different aspects such as contemporary and cultural dance, acting, music and many more.

“The training school is different from others because we train them not to believe that they can become celebrities overnight.”

The law graduate from the University of Lagos is popular for her drama series, Jenifa’s Diary, which won her the award of Best Actress in a Comedy at the 2016 African Magic Viewers Choice Awards.