"I Have Nothing Against Funke": Kunle Afolayan Clears the Air on Misunderstanding with Akindele
- Renowned filmmaker Kunle Afolayan has addressed the misunderstanding between him and Funke Akindele over his comments on movie promotion and cinema earnings
- The actor said he received a fiery phone call from Funke Akindele, who accused him of disliking her and warned him to stop mentioning her name in interviews
- Afolayan insisted that he has nothing against Funke, explaining his previous comments and revealing how he recently advised young filmmakers at a masterclass to follow Funke's successful model
Nollywood filmmaker Kunle Afolayan has explained the circumstances behind the ongoing clash with actress and producer Funke Akindele.
Speaking during an interview with Arise TV, Kunle revealed that Akindele phoned him after his remarks at a film business forum, raising her voice and telling him not to mention her name in interviews.
Source: Instagram
Afolayan said she ended the call abruptly, after which he sent her a message to clarify his position.
The misunderstanding came from Afolayan’s comments about promotional methods such as dance videos and skits, where he used Akindele’s approach as an example.
He explained that his intention was to highlight her entrepreneurial energy and success, not to criticise her.
He explained that while such strategies are effective, he personally finds them exhausting and prefers other ways of engaging audiences.
Afolayan went on to discuss the financial realities of cinema distribution, noting that even when films gross billions, the eventual returns after deductions are far smaller.
He said this was why he has been cautious about returning fully to cinema releases, despite his long career in the industry.
Source: Instagram
Kunle Afolayan speaks on Funke Akindele's model
The actor said Funke Akindele gained wide recognition with her hit series Jenifa, produced on a modest budget, which became a runaway success.
Since then, she has built a strong brand and consistently drawn large audiences to her films, making her one of Nollywood’s most successful producers.
Afolayan concluded by reaffirming that he has no issue with Akindele, describing her model as one younger filmmakers should emulate.
He emphasised that his own path involves balancing film with other ventures such as his resort, cultural centre, and film academy, but insisted that he supports colleagues’ projects and initiatives wholeheartedly, not criticising them.
Watch Kunle Afolayan's video here:
Netizens react to Kunle Afolayan's explanation
Legit.ng compiled the reactions of netizens below:
@DakingLeather1 said:
"Too be honest ther is better way he could av explain,while doing so he will praise does putting d effort to promote theremovies nd also explain why he does not av strength 4 such."
@im_Kappachino commented:
"Funke isn't even on his level. He spoke about what they do with grace, gave commendation cos he can't keep up like that."
@CynicalAngle wrote:
"This guy is quite manipulative. Inasmuch as I get his point and I actually agree, his way of name dropping his colleagues name is plain stupid."
@Abelpter reacted:
"But Kunle Afolayan isn't the first person to talk about this Cinema thing. Omotola spoke about it, Omoni Oboli also spoke about it. She probably already has an issue with Kunle otherwise she wouldn't pick offense in what he say."
@enyola said:
"Kunle was practically born into this thing… he was dancing as PR for people to come watch movies long before Funke could cut her teeth."
Kunle Afolayan advises men to marry many women
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Nollywood filmmaker Kunle Afolayan advised men to marry many women or be involved with many women.
While speaking during the premiere of his new movie, Anikulapo 2, Afolayan revealed that he is the seventh child in a very large family. According to him, his late father was involved with many women.
The filmmaker stressed that he never forgets where he comes from. He added that without his father, there would be no Kunle Afolayan and no KAP Village, the creative hub he founded.
Source: Legit.ng
