A lady rejected my love advances because of my disability –Abimbola Kazeem, actor - The Gallant News

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Saturday 2 October 2021

A lady rejected my love advances because of my disability –Abimbola Kazeem, actor

A lady rejected my love advances because of my disability –Abimbola Kazeem, actor


Due to his disability, Abimbola Kazeem was bullied and scorned as a youth. But rather than rage with fury and give up, he took solace in music and later movies.

Today, Kazeem is a popular actor and producer of many movies including skits like ‘Sho Mo Age Mi’. His career has soared beyond the expectation of those who had looked down on him, as he now dines and wines with the high and mighty in the industry.

In this rare interview, Kazeem talks about his journey to stardom. Enjoy it.

Take us through your journey into the movie industry.

Actually, I started playing music from my childhood, and as time went on I decided to go into the movie industry. So, professionally, I started acting in 2009 and I have done quite a lot of movies.

Did you acquire any formal acting training?

Yes, I was under Oga Bello (Adebayo Salami) where I was taught movie production for a year.

Have you ever been in a situation where people didn’t believe that you could go this far?

Challenges are what you have to face to get to where you are going, and I am the kind of person that sets his mind towards whatever challenges and disbeliefs people might have. So, I tackle challenges as they come. Thank God, people can now see the result of my hard work.

What movie brought you into the limelight?

That was Ijewuru, a movie produced in 2012 by Babatunde Bernard. I like the fact that I played my first comedy role in the movie, and to God be the glory, I played the role perfectly; exactly the way the director wanted it. It was from the promo of the movie that people started noticing me, and commending my work.

What message are you trying to convey with the movie, Charlie Charlie?

When I first got the script, I read and digested it. I felt I needed to give it my best because the movie has a very good message that needed to be passed to the world, not just to Nigerians, about insecurity, human trafficking and all. My role was one of the kidnappers of the girls. It’s a very challenging role. I advise everyone to watch and learn from it.

What inspired your Instagram comedy skits?

As an entertainer, you should always be ready to do other things aside what you are known for. But then consistency is key. That is the reason I gave more attention to social media and to making short skits because that is what is in vogue, and with that, you can easily showcase your talent to the world. Social media is a great platform through which I now meet and have access to those celebrities that I have been looking up to, the likes of Don Jazzy, Davido etc. With the slang, ‘Sho mo age mi’ (Do you know my age?) that I invented in 2019 and which made me popular, celebrities like Davido called and requested to meet with me, and I was overwhelmed.

What’s the story behind the slang, ‘Sho mo age mi’?

‘Sho mo age mi’ is a short skit about age, knowing that Nigerians like to brag about age in order to command respect. During that period, a colleague was celebrating her 40th birthday and I knew she was not up to 40. I got curious and asked why we love to reduce or add to our real age. That was how I decided to turn it into a comedy skit. And when I put it out, within 24 hours, I was all over the Internet, and then I got a call from Davido that he wanted to see me.

As a producer and content creator, tell us the movies you have produced.

Before I ventured into acting, I was doing fuji and hip-pop music with the likes of the late Da-Green, and I had some music videos. After ‘Sho Mo Age Mi’ skit, I dropped a few videos online and also did some movies. In the last two months, I have produced a lot of movies.

What was the experience like working with Davido?

Davido called me; I didn’t even know how he got my number, so I went to his house, and he was glad to see me. He took me out, we had a nice outing, and it was posted on social media. He even asked his followers to follow me on Instagram.

Tell us about your growing up.

I grew up in Shomolu, Bariga. I went to primary school in Shomolu and then proceeded to Morocco Secondary School, Yaba. I was a fuji musician but I never had any support from my father because I was always sleeping out. He said music is meant for touts, so he stopped me from doing music until 2000 when I fully came on-board.

Growing up? Haaa… I was a very tough boy when I was growing up. I needed to be tough due to my condition. I was not born this way; I fell sick and my mom took me to the hospital where I was given the wrong injection in the wrong part, so it affected my leg. Growing up, I got bullied all the time and the only way I thought I could defend myself was to fight back. So, I started getting so tough and people wouldn’t want to mingle with me.

Tell us your experience about being bullied due to your disability?

A particular experience was when I was in primary school; the school compound was small so we would always go to another school when it’s time for inter-house sports. One day, the pupils all left for the inter-house sports and I was left behind. When they got back, my friends asked me why I didn’t go with them, and then the teacher said that I couldn’t go because I had nothing to offer. I felt so bad.

How do you feel now being a famous actor?

I have been using myself to pass a message every now and then, especially to people living with disabilities, not to look down on themselves, because there is ability in disability. I also encourage them that if I can make it, they can also make it, all that is needed is to go out there and mingle with people, and showcase their talent to the world.

As an entertainer, how rich are you?

I am very comfortable. I can feed morning, afternoon, and evening. So, I thank God because everything is paying off now.

Are you single or married?

I am married with two lovely kids.

Have you ever been rejected in a relationship because of your disability?

Oh yes, that happened in Ibadan. There was this lady I liked so much. One day, I walked up to her and the next thing she did was to call my friend and tell him to warn me never in my life I should talk to her again. When my friend asked her why she said so, she said it’s because of my disability. I felt terribly bad!

Where do you see yourself in the next five years?

I have my plans. So, I see myself in the highest places.


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