"Stop Belittling My Work": Funke Akindele Explains Why She Dances to Promote Movies
- Nollywood actress Funke Akindele explained why she dances to promote her movies, recounting her difficult experience during the production of Battle on Buka Street
- The talented filmmaker urged critics to stop belittling her hard work and clarified that she keeps reinventing herself by collaborating with young professionals in the Nigerian film industry
- Funke Akindele maintained that nobody is forced to dance to sell movies as she advised her colleagues to create their unique promotional ideas instead of copying her happy style
Nollywood actress and filmmaker Funke Akindele has spoken about why she chooses to dance when promoting her movies.
Her comments came months after fellow filmmaker Kunle Afolayan stated that he would never dance to promote his films, citing Funke Akindele and Toyin Abraham as examples of those who use dancing to sell their work.
Back then, the remark stirred heated reactions from her and drew responses from colleagues such as Omotola Jalade, Mo Abudu and Regina Chukwu.
Source: Instagram
Funke Akindele revealed that the dancing actually started out of necessity. When she was producing Battle on Buka Street, she was financially stretched after production wrapped and could not afford a conventional PR and marketing campaign.
With no budget to work with, the filmmakers said she set up a backdrop in her sitting room, positioned a camera, and enlisted her cinematographer and her brother to help her record content.
They danced to the film's soundtrack and kept posting the clips consistently until audiences connected with it.
"If you look at me, I love to dance. It's my thing. I'm just a happy girl. Oh yes, I got the dancing from my mom. I love to be happy. So I remember when I did Battle on Buka Street, I was very broke. Oh yes. After the shoots, I was very broke. I was going through a lot that period of my life. But I still wanted to do that movie. I did Battle on Buka Street, and I didn't have the budget for PR and marketing. So I just did a backdrop in my sitting room in my house, and I put the camera there. I told Blessyn, "Blessyn is my, you know, he works with fan. He's a cinematographer there." I also told my brother, "Oh yeah, my phone is here. You have to create. We have to create content." And we started dancing to the soundtrack. So, we kept posting, posting, and posting. Okay, now everybody loves the fact that Funke loves to dance. Oh, they love to see her happy. And I kept on doing it. If you now feel like you want to "
The Box Office queen added that the organic response from the public eventually shaped her approach to promotion across subsequent projects.
Source: Instagram
Funke Akindele speaks on reinvention
Funke Akindele was also keen to stress that dancing is simply an expression of who she is, not a calculated performance for the cameras.
She credited her mother for passing down her love of dancing and described herself as "just a happy girl."
The actress went on to speak about the broader mindset she believes has kept her relevant in an industry that moves quickly.
According to her, she regularly brings in young writers and new collaborators, refusing to act as though she has nothing left to learn.
"I don't believe I know it all," she said. "I keep reaching out to a lot of professionals in the film industry to work with them."
Funke Akindele's latest comments made it clear that she has no intention of changing her approach.
She did, however, say other filmmakers are under no obligation to follow suit.
"If you now feel like you want to jump on it to promote your movie, you're welcome, but you don't have to dance. Create your own ideas. Come up with something different," she said.
Watch Funke Akindele's video on dancing to sell her movies:
Funke Akindele supports blind young mother
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Funke Akindele generously supported Salaundeer Fathia, a young mother who lost her eyesight following childbirth.
Content creator Olarinoye Oluwatofunmi released a video on Monday, July 6, 2026, revealing that the filmmaker donated a substantial amount for the woman's upcoming eye operation.
The young mother had earlier undergone brain surgery for a tumour, prompting Akindele to publicly pray for her perfect healing and a great miracle.
Source: Legit.ng
