Kunle Afolayan has proven time and again his capacity to direct and produce Nigerian period pieces. He does this with his latest movie titled “Anikulapo.” The drama stays true to what Yoruba movies are known for – moral suasion. However, the production values are elevated and there is some surprising nudity.
To non-Yorubas, the word “Anikulapo” is closely associated with Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti. But thanks to this film, non-Yorubas get a deeper meaning of the word.
“Anikulapo” explores lust, love, betrayal and pride. The screenwriter Shola Dada draws on Yoruba folklore and tells a story about certain beliefs in ancient Nigerian societies while throwing light on how the societies were run and how morality was upheld.
According to the narration that kick-offs the movie, when a person died, they “were not buried but the corpse was taken to the sacred forest to rest.” In the case of an untimely death, the mystical Akala bird had “the divine ability to resurrect” them but where a person’s time was due, the Akala would grant them “passage to the great beyond.” And so, the story begins with Saro (Kunle Remi) getting a second chance to live.
Saro, later nicknamed Anikulapo – meaning he who has death in his pouch, is a lowly fabric weaver. After his resurrection, he travels from Gbogan through many lands and eventually ends at Oyo Ile where he meets a businesswoman Awarun (Sola Sobowale) who convinces him to settle at Oyo rather than continue his sojourn. Awarun also offers him work until he’s able to raise the capital required to start his own weaving business. Saro agrees.
Awarun is an interesting character for her time because she defies convention. She is an independent woman who’s separated from her husband and dates whomever she pleases, at a time when her peers were content being subservient second or third wives. She becomes Saro’s lover. After a jealous fit, Saro wants to marry her but she declines and tells him that he deserves a younger woman and that when Saro finds her, she would give him her blessing. Indeed, Saro soon finds a younger woman, Arolake (Bimbo Ademoye), but she does not deserve Awarun’s blessing and so, this new love turns Saro into a fugitive.
One may however suggest that Saro is fated to meet women who set him on the right path because although his new love is cursed, Arolake will put his needs above her’s and nudge him unto greatness. As for Arolake, what goes around comes around.
The cast of Anikulapo ranges from Yoruba movie favourites such as Taiwo Hassan, Yinka Quadri and Faithia Balogun, to Hollywood actor Hakeem Kae-Kazim and newbie, Eyiyemi Afolayan. Kazim’s attempt to speak Yoruba in The CW series “Dynasty” did not go well, that is probably why he plays a king who only speaks through a spokesperson in “Anikulapo.” Sadly, the mystery that the screenwriter attempts to create around his character, King Aderoju, is not achieved.
In addition, despite the plot twist revealed in the middle of the movie, one cannot describe Anikulapo as mind-blowing but 2 hours and 22 minutes run by without one noticing, so it is interesting. Compared to Afolayan’s other Yoruba movie “Mokalik” which is also streaming on Netflix, Anikulapo is a step up. “Anikulapo” is also showing in cinemas.
