The slogan, ‘The show must go on’, appears to be the driving force behind seasoned actor, Kayode Odumosu’s resolve to return to the entertainment scene soon. After recovering from a challenging bout with biventricular heart failure – an ailment that seriously affected his heart and lungs – last February, Odumosu, aka Pa Kasumu, is determined to keep ‘marching on’ to relevance.
Having missed the thrills that come with being on a movie set, the 61-year-old actor whose last production is the Optima Studio’s drama series, Aduke Hotel, is warming up to go back to his first love: acting.
However, he says, after much prodding from our correspondent, that he still needs some form of assistance. This time, it has nothing to do with his health.
He says,
“I have shot one movie that is still in post-production for many years now because I do not have the balance to pay up the editing. I need about N700,000, to make this dream a reality.
“I hope to shoot an action movie very soon by the grace of God. It was written by me, I wrote the script in 1995 but I will still modify it to fit into the realities of today. But the truth is that the cost has tripled since that time. I produced my last movie entitled Madaru, in 1994, which starred the likes of Jide Kosoko and Yinka Quadri.”
The soft-spoken actor says he has yet to recover the money he invested in the project. “I did not make enough money from the movie and it was due to the sharp practices of some marketers. In fact, I lost a lot of money,” he says.
But there is no stopping Pa. Kasumu. Although he might not be as financially independent as he would wish to be, the actor, whose first appearance in a play titled Iyawo Orun kick-started his career, now owns a house – an enviable feat that is uncommon among Nigerian actors.
He confirms this when he says, “I have just moved in into my new house, a bungalow in Abeokuta, which I bought for about N1.8m. Because it was an uncompleted house at the time it was purchased, I spent a lot of money on the roofing, plastering and painting. I have built some other houses which I never got around to complete. This was because at various points in my life, I was compelled to sell them off to offset some pressing expenses. But thank God, I am a landlord today.”
Shedding light on some of the adjustments he has had to make since he regained his sight, memory and gait, the star actor says he is taking things easy. He also confirms that his physiotherapist certified that he can now be left to go out on his own without any assistance or monitoring.
“I can also move around on my own because I am a lot better, compared to when I was bed-ridden. I am not on the set of any movie for now. But glory be to God for restoring my health. I met Tunji Bamishigbin at a recent event and he is trying to invite me to a production. But I don’t know when he will begin to shoot the film. Besides, I don’t have any acting engagements for now.
“I will still play Pa Kasumu roles when I eventually get back on set but I also hope to play other challenging roles. I want to prove that I am truly a versatile actor who doesn’t want to be boxed to just one corner,” he says.
The actor who says he originally wanted to become an auto engineer says he is in a happy place despite the many challenges that has come his way.
“Nobody can beat his or her chest and say he is satisfied with his finances in Nollywood in Nigeria. Although I am not where I hoped to be, I am very content,” he says.
When our correspondent asked if the embattled Association of Theatre Arts Practitioners has reached out to him, he simply replied,
“Sorry, I don’t want to talk about that. All I care about for now is my health but I thank God for everything. I can’t do without acting because it is something I want to do for a very long time. I missed acting, my colleagues and fans, during my down-time, because making people happy gives me so much joy.’’
For now, Pa. Kasumu, who still intends to travel overseas to better manage his health, plans to document his experience in the form of a memorabilia.
“I may write a book or a movie, later. But, I don’t have that strength for now. I will definitely consider that later and who knows, it may just be a movie,” he says, laughing.
No comments:
Post a Comment