Saheed Balogun, Fathia ‘re-unite’ for The Victims

Mercy Aigbe-Gentry

Popular actress, Mercy Aigbe-Gentry, won the hearts of many movie fans in Nigeria with her performance in the film, ‘Osas Omoge Benin’ – a three-part Yoruba movie that also starred the likes of Iyabo Ojo, Toyin Amaikhu and comedienne Helen Paul.

The actress has since surpassed that feat, no doubt, especially with more appearances to her credit. She was recently rewarded with the Best Supporting Actress and Yoruba Movie Personality of the Year award at the sixth edition of the City People Entertainment Awards event held in Lagos.

Still relishing the award, Mercy – who is surprisingly not Yoruba –believes it is enough proof that her fans, whose votes decided the winner in the first place, appreciate her work and contributions to the development of the genre.

“The award makes me feel that there is something I’m doing right and some people are noticing it. It makes me want to do more,” she says, in an interview with our correspondent.

With the release of the official trailer for her new movie titled, ‘The Victims’, there is an indication that Mercy is certainly poised to do more for the Nigerian film industry.

The plot of the movie revolves around a young and unmarried woman who experiences a lot of difficulty in life. The actress cum producer describes it as a very emotional movie that is full of suspense and intrigues, as well as lessons on morals.

Explaining why the movie primarily addresses issues around marriages, she says, “A lot of people don’t really respect the marriage institution in this country. Some of them are not even patient enough to endure the challenges of living with another person. They forget that we are individuals from different backgrounds. And they are not ready to compromise many things. I think this is the reason why most marriages don’t work in this part of the world.”

Interestingly, Saheed Balogun and his ex-wife Fathia ‘re-united’ on the set of ‘The Victims’ for the first time after the formal dissolution of their marriage. There was no trace of the strain in their relationship, Mercy notes, as they acted their roles alongside Ghanaian actress, Juliet Ibrahim, who spoke Yoruba for the first time.

Award-winning Nollywood filmmaker, Lancelot Imasuen, directed the movie. It was his first Yoruba job and he was excited about it.