These days, Funke Akindele wears many hats and quite well I must add. The seasoned actress is not just an actor but a producer, director and occasional rapper when necessary.
The movie star can be anything her audience desire which explains her loyal fanbase and how she is on her way to breaking a four-year record with her 2020 Christmas day release, 'Omo Ghetto (The Saga)'.
ALSO READ: 'Omo Ghetto' rakes in N124 million in opening week
The sequel made quite the impression with how it romanticizes gangsterhood. The first line from the trailer sums it up: "What I am doing is not right, I'm Lefty so what I am doing is left", Lefty tells Ayomide. True to her words, the entire film builds on Lefty being ostensibly 'left'.
For the film's nearly three-hour duration, the audience is driven on a hilarious ride through the chaotic life of prodigal twin, Shalewa aka Lefty (Funke Akindele-Bello) and her colour blocking gang-the Askamaya Bees (Chioma Akpotha as Chummy Choko, Bimbo Thomas as Nikky and Eniola Badmus as Busty).
Amid the film's rib-cracking humour is a moral undertone that the screenwriters desperately needed to sell to its audience. One that subtly says that it is okay to be a gangster but despise drug lords that make kids meddle or a boyfriend that scams white women. It is like saying it is okay to be a Witch as long as you remain a white one.
Getting the right mix of humour in Nollywood comedies can be herculean. So herculean that some blockbuster comedies before 'Omo Ghetto' have gotten strikes for focusing solely on ensuring the audience laugh their pants off at the expense of developing solid stories.
However, the movie does a little extra research evident in its strategic casting and story development. The movie's success is more than the weight of its lead actor but a union of both cinema and Asaba industries in roles that aren't an afterthought for a change.
On the flip side, sequels often bank on nostalgia especially if it has taken nearly 11 years to return to the screens like 'Omo Ghetto'. Unfortunately, Lefty was not sorely missed as Jenifa never left.
Away from spinning an undisputable comedy, the Bellos outdid themselves on their first project together as creative directors. Hopefully, the future will see more films from the lovebirds.