By Olukorede Yishau
The film, ‘Ayinla’, in its first week at the cinemas in Nigeria, overthrew ‘My Village People’ to occupy the number one slot. ‘My Village People’ is the handiwork of stand-up comedian Bovi. It is a good movie, no doubt. However, ‘Ayinla’, ace movie director Tunde Kelani’s cinematic representation of the late Apala musician Ayinla Omowura, is historical, and Kelani’s pedigree is enough to get many to the cinemas. Though not a biopic, ‘Ayinla’ is built around some events in the life of the musician who died after being stabbed by his estranged manager. The fact that the bulk of the film is in Yoruba language has not affected its performance at the box office. It is well-sub-titled and can easily be followed by non-Yoruba speakers.
In November, Kelani is scheduled to release another big project, ‘Cordelia’, a screen adaptation of a novella of the same title by Okinba Launko (Prof. Femi Osofisan).
In ‘Cordelia’, romance meets politics, politics of the men in military fatigue with all its attendant dangers. This novella starts with a lecturer in a disturbed state about his marriage. His once-sweet wife has become the devil’s envoy. In the opening pages of the story, we see clear evidence of the lecturer’s state of mind, including his inability to teach his students. One of them later confronts him in his office about his shoddy lecture. Like a typical man, he sees no reason to discuss such a matter, especially with his student. The student in question is accompanied to the lecturer’s office by another student named Cordelia.
Unknown to the lecturer, she is about to be at the centre of a major riot in the institution. Cordelia’s father is a minister in the military government. Minutes after the two students leave the lecturer’s office, he is alerted by a colleague to martial music on the radio. This sort of music in Nigeria is associated with a military coup. It turns out there has been a coup and the leader is none other than Cordelia’s father. Before the implications of what has just happened hit the lecturer, Cordelia’s friend rushes back to him, panting. Protesting students are about to lynch Cordelia for her father’s role in removing a government seen as benevolent. The description makes me feel the author is referring to the Murtala Mohammed administration. A drama ensues while Cordelia’s friend is still trying to convince the lecturer to help save her from the mob; his wife comes into the office and accuses him of having an affair with his student. No explanation is acceptable to her. He eventually locks her in the office to go and save the girl in danger. He returns to find out that his aggrieved wife has turned his office upside down. She even tore his research papers and sets him back many years.
Information gets to the military that Cordelia is with him. His house is invaded. It turns out the invader is Cordelia’s in-law to be. She is relieved seeing him and he takes her away. She thinks she is his father’s emissary. How wrong she is. Not long after, another set of military men invade his house and it dawns on him that the men who have Cordelia are keeping her for reasons far from noble. It is drama upon drama.
‘Cordelia’ is suspense-filled with each chapter ending with a cliff hanger and thus luring a reader to the next page and, in the process, getting hooked like a hard drug user. This is certainly not easy to pull off. The author achieves this with magisterial competence.
This is the second novella by Osofisan being adapted by Kelani, the first was ‘Ma’ami’. The two and another novella, ‘Kolera Kolej’, were some years ago collected as ‘The Best of Times’.
‘Kolera Kolej’ is satirical. It is set in a country where cholera breaks out in its university leading to deaths. The leader of this country, which has the same mannerisms with Nigerian leaders, abdicates his responsibility by granting guided autonomy to the university. Intrigues ensue in picking the pioneer leader for the new republic and all kinds of factors, except merit, come into play. Blackmail is not in short supply in the new republic. In the end, not much is achieved because favouritism, egotism, and many anti-development sentiments dictate the pace.
The ridiculousness of the decisions taken by the leaders of the college and the country displays the lack of foresight and patriotism that many a Nigerian leader is famous for.
The second novella, ‘Ma’ami’, which inspired a film of the same title by Kelani, is about the extent a mother can go to get her child his needs. It is also about poverty and how some see occultism as a way out. Reading the novella makes me feel like seeing Kelani’s cinematic representation all over again. The points of divergence also easily hit me, in the sense that I easily identify the addition to the film version.
This novella, narrated in the first person by the son, is not just about a mother’s love, it vividly paints the extent people can go to make money. Imagine a father sacrificing his son for a money-making ritual! It also tells the corruption of government officials who allow extraneous factors in deciding who has a space in the market and who does not. This novella also shows the importance of a father-figure in a child’s life. Despite all Ma’ami does for her ‘Termogene’ of a son, all it takes to test his loyalty is the sight of his father and the evidence of his filthy lucre.
It is filled with drama and the author resolves the conflicts brilliantly. Telling the tale in present tense gives it this immediate presence and I just love it. The end of this story will have you asking yourself questions. You may even reread to get a second opinion.
After ‘Cordelia’, will Kelani also adapt ‘Kolera Kolej’? Though written over four decades ago, it is surprisingly filled with afflictions which still trouble Nigeria and make one wonder if we will ever get things right by gaining independence from nepotism, favouritism, corruption, political elites’ impunity, and more.
My final take: The cinema version of ‘Cordelia’ promises to be entertaining and educative. With Kelani’s pedigree, we expect all the suspense that makes the novella an interesting read to be achieved so as to keep viewers asking for scene after scene.
• Yishau is a newspaper columnist and author of ‘In The Name of Our Father’and’Vaults of Secrets’