O Le Ku is a 1997 Nigerian romantic drama film produced and directed by Tunde Kelani. It is an adaptation of Prof. Akinwunmi Ishola's novel of the same name. It was released in 1997 by Mainframe Film and Television Productions.[1] It was made in two parts.[2]
| O Le Ku | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Tunde Kelani |
| Story by | Akinwunmi Ishola |
| Based on | O Le Ku (novel) |
| Produced by | Tunde Kelani |
| Starring | Yemi Shodimu |
Production company | |
Release date |
|
Running time | 204 minutes |
| Country | Nigeria |
| Language | Yoruba |
Plot
editO Le Ku tells the story of Ajani, an undergraduate of the University of Ibadan who is in his final year. He is under pressure from his mother to find a partner and he unwittingly finds himself in a love quadrangle. He dates three women simultaneously; Asake, a secondary school teacher is his long-term girlfriend. He meets Lola a fresher who is tall, slim and pretty. The situation gets complicated when he meets a childhood acquaintance who eventually takes centre stage of the love drama.[2][3] Asake's father badgers her to sever her relationship with Ajani but she however falls pregnant, and Lola finds out and Ajani has to choose a wife under duress from his mother.[2]
Cast
edit- Yemi Shodimu as Ajani
- Feyikemi Abodunrin as Asake
- Pauline Dike as Lola
- Omolola Amusan as Sade
- Lere Paimo as Adeleke, Asake's dad
- Kola Oyewo as Oloye Ajasa
- Hafiz Oyetoro
- Toun Oni
- Gboyega Olomodosi
- Tunde Adegbola as Officer
- Dupe Taylor as Officer's Girlfriend
- Lanre Hassan as Awero
- Lai Karounwi as Soldier
- Deji Adenuga
- Laide Adewale as Prof 1
- Larinde Akinleye
- Akinwunmi Ishola as Prof 2
- Tunde Awosanmi
- Cecilia Kechere as Femi
Production
editSignificant parts of the film were filmed on location at the University of Ibadan.[4]
Reception
editO Le Ku was said to have sparked the short aso oke Iro and Buba fashion trend also called Oleku.[1][5]
It was listed as one of the ten iconic Nollywood stories from the 90s.[6]
Akin Adesokan in his 2011 book described the film as "the best example of Yoruba language film in Nollywood regarding how the actors and actresses articulate their point of views in “undiluted” Yoruba language."[7]
It has been adopted to teach foreign Yoruba Language learners in institutions in the United States and Europe due to the standard of Yoruba Language spoken in the movie.[8]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Izuzu, Chibumga (2016-04-07). "Who remembers Tunde Kelani's 1997 movie "Oleku?"". Pulse Nigeria. Retrieved 2021-05-08.
- ^ a b c ""Nollywood" Yoruba Film Project: Kelani Film Selections" (PDF). COERLL. 2011.
- ^ "Life + Times: 7 must-see classics from legendary filmmaker, Tunde Kelani". NativeMag. 2018-02-26. Retrieved 2021-05-08.
- ^ Sadiq, Zainab (2014-11-25). "9 Nollywood Films That Ruled the 90s". TNS. Retrieved 2021-05-08.
- ^ "Don't mistake me for cultist because of "Oleku" movie, actor tells Nigerians". Pulse Nigeria. 2019-04-26. Retrieved 2021-05-08.
- ^ Samuel, Mofijesusewa (2020-02-07). "10 Iconic Nollywood Stories From The 90s That Should Get A Remake". Nigerian Entertainment Today. Retrieved 2021-05-08.
- ^ Adesokan, Akin (2011). Postcolonial artists and global aesthetics. Indiana University Press.
- ^ Soetan, Olusegun. "The Hearthstone: Language, Culture, and Politics in the Films of Tunde Kelani". Polymath: An Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences Journal.