NOLLYWOOD actress, Chioma Akpotha, who played Mama Ifeanyi in the blockbuster Gangs of Lagos, has revealed how some residents of Isale Eko helped them to make the movie a success.
According to the renowned actress, the residents at first gave them a tough time, as they requested “small something” before allowing them to shoot, but as time passed on, the residents became good friends with them and even helped them out in playing some roles.
She said, “[It] wasn’t all fun. Initially, there was a pushback. They [locals] were like ‘No, you guys can’t do this. Nobody is going to come here. Then the other camps said ‘This is our land’.
"They were like, show us some love. You know what it means.
“Afterwards, because we filmed for a little over 50 days. You know when you see someone constantly for day-to-day, two weeks, three weeks. So, we became like friends and then family to have them [locals] play some sort of roles in the film.
"They were involved. It gave them so much joy, and they did it with all of their hearts. Even though they were compensated, they wanted to do it out of love.”
The movie Gangs of Lagos cycled around three friends who grew up in Isale Eko as they try to navigate their destinies and ensure success.
