“17 years back, there is a lot of difference between what I did and what is happening now, in terms of the industry and everything, I can’t compare any of the reigning Nollywood queens with myself concerning what I did then.
But the fact is that they all came and did their things and some are still doing their things and I did mine then but majorly there is a lot of difference.” That was Ndidi Obi, the beautiful actress that dazzled many Nigerians and movie buffs in 1994 with her role as Nneka in a Zeb Ejiro flick Nneka The Pretty Serpent, a film still fondly remembered by many.
She spoke with SBF. “Between the time I acted Nneka The Pretty Serpent and now, there are a lot of differences, you can’t even begin to compare then and now. In terms of convenience, storyline and cast, and the politics going on in the industry wasn’t there at that time, everything was working out very well, you were called for casting and given roles based on your performances but these days people bring in only their own people to come and work, they make it look as if it is concentrated on some selected few and have made it one-sided when it’s supposed to be giving lots of talents the opportunity to showcase what they have.
Not about me now because I’m there but there are lots of restrictions and no room for several talents who would have done brilliantly better than others.”
Born and bred in the Apapa area of Lagos state Nigeria, this indigene of Enugu State admitted she had been around in the movie industry for a long time now even though she has not had as much prominence as she had after her role in Nneka The Pretty Serpent.
“I’ve been very much around, I’ve been busy with my career as well as other businesses that I do, however, I’ve remained faithful to acting and I’m taking my time to do what I have to do because I don’t want to be in every production but any production that I choose to work on, I would be fully committed and I have to manage my time very well as well.”
Continuing, the radiant-looking thespian, who, unknown to many, studied Banking and Finance at the University of Lagos, said: “After Nneka The Pretty Serpent, I’ve done more than enough movies that are uncountable but Nneka The Pretty Serpent remains the movie that made me and no other movie can take that away from it. It was such a huge production and a huge success when it came out and I can’t but say it that no movie can take it away from Nneka The Pretty Serpent when I’m involved.”
With a fluent diction in English, Yoruba and Igbo languages, one might mistake her for a Yoruba or Calabar woman but she seems to enjoy the wide latitude her ability to speak the three languages offers her.
“I speak Yoruba fluently because I was born in Lagos and I grew up in Lagos, so I speak Yoruba and Igbo fluently. As a matter of fact, I once acted in a Yoruba flick. People can’t really place where I’m from when they meet me because when some people meet me speaking Yoruba, they think I’m Yoruba and when others hear me speak Igbo, they think I’m Igbo and others who just pass by me think I’m from Calabar but the bottom line is that I’m a Nigerian,” she pointed out.
How has she been able to remain active in the industry even though she has not been as prominent as many would have expected going by her fame after her major hit at limelight with Nneka The Pretty Serpent?, this writer asked.
“I don’t have any production of my own but I’m hoping to do that soon. Right now, I’m busy with other people’s production working on set and doing what I know how to do best, which is acting but once you do what you do well, you would always be there, so I guess I still hold my grounds as a seasoned actress,” she retorted.
How has life treated this star after her reign as one of Nollywood’s queens? “Nollywood generally is just there but if you think its looking bright, I would go with what you said, yeah, it’s looking bright for the industry as well as the practitioners. I have two kids, who are grown ups and are not in any way affecting my career because I don’t need to baby sit them any longer and if I’m not with them, I’m probably engaged with other activities or my personal businesses.
I got into the world of make-believe because of my love for the arts. I actually started by modelling and while in school, I ventured into acting and I loved all the things that came with it most especially the glamour, so it was from modelling that I got into acting and I’ve been at it ever since then,” she said.
“I’m still fit to model just as I’m still very much into acting, although for some time now, I have not been modelling but I’m ready to take up any challenging and good modelling job. I can’t place a finger on which is more rewarding financially because I strongly believe that whatever you do which brings you income is rewarding financially.
Modelling, business or acting, for me, it is incomparable. And what I earn is not meant for the public, it’s an individual thing, I don’t know what other people earn but what I earn is what I know and I’m content with it but like I said it’s not really all about the money for me, it’s mostly about the passion because I do other things aside acting and I’ve been doing them well.
Financially, it hasn’t really paid off but its okay as at the time we met it when we met it but I would just say it’s acceptable. However, other things, which my incursion into movie has given me, are enormous and that is what I appreciate. I can’t really remember how young I was when I acted in Nneka The Pretty Serpent but I was very young that is 17 years down the line,” she said.
When she started out in the world of modelling and acting, not very many parents supported such an idea at that time but Ndidi noted that she had gotten the best acceptance from her parents because she had shown the traits of going into entertainment even as a youngster. “When I started, I didn’t have any issues with my parents because the traces of going into entertainment had always been there so when I got into modelling and later acting, it was an easy task for us,” she said.
As much as she shies away from meddling in politics, the fair-skinned beauty who is in her 40s thinks the government needs to do more for the entertainers than just using and dumping them after their political campaigns. “I think the government needs to support the entertainment industry more and see to the plight of the practitioners, it should go beyond using them for campaigns or giving some money and not giving others, the practitioners through their respective bodies should be supported and given all the opportunity to be at par with their contemporaries outside the shores of Nigeria.”
When asked if she had done anything weird on location or even as a character in any flick since she got into the art, she says she sincerely doubts it. “I doubt if I’ve ever done anything weird on locations or even given a weird role aside for a role I played a few months back where I had to be in a mafia gang because of the character I had to play and it was a bit challenging.
However, I’ve not been stereotyped into playing the roles of a mother, as a matter of fact, I would not allow myself to be cornered into such position and I can count the number of roles I’ve played that depicts me as a mother.”
