Speaking in an exclusive interview with The Nollywood Reporter at the Grand Pa Must Obey press junket on Wednesday, November 19, at Filmhouse
Cinemas Landmark in Lagos, actress Darasimi Nadi said she was drawn to Fola because of the character’s layered emotional journey.
“I really loved the character because I think that was the first comedy film that I had a younger sibling and I wasn’t sassy,” Nadi said. “Even though, yes, I was. But she had a reason or a lot of worlds built up and that was why she was sassy.”
The 14-year-old actress, who has been acting for five years and appeared in over 30 films, explained that her character’s difficult behavior stems from emotional neglect. “It’s not like she’s sassy because my mum is a rich woman, but she was sassy because she didn’t have love and that was her own way of presenting and showing how she felt,” she said.
Nadi also spoke about working alongside veteran actor Kanayo Kanayo, describing the experience as instrumental to her professional development. “Working with him helped me build my work ethic more,” she said. “I learnt how to put myself together even though I had someone else there with me.”
The actress added that Kanayo’s traditional approach to filmmaking influenced the set environment. “I also learnt how to talk to others and be extremely traditional about everything,” Nadi said. “Mr. Kanayo Kanayo grew up back in the day so we all had to be traditional about everything and it was really fun.”
Discussing the production experience, Nadi noted the collaborative atmosphere among cast members. “All the actors I worked with were amazing to be around,” she said. “The actors and I had great synergy. When you get your lines, everyone knows these are my lines and this is what I’m meant to do in this scene.”
She recounted one incident that demonstrated the professionalism of the film’s younger cast. “There was a time we were on set and Fiyin and I had a little argument,” Nadi said. “But we refused to let anyone know and we resolved it ourselves. I really found that that was very mature, especially because Femi( Feyin’s character) is still a baby.”
On what young viewers should take from the film, Nadi emphasized healthy communication. “I hope that they can always speak to their parents about how they feel and express themselves without being violent about it,” she said. “And I hope that they learn from this story, even if it wasn’t evident, that sibling love is everything.”
Nadi was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards earlier this year for her performance in Aburo, becoming the youngest Nigerian actor to receive the nomination.
Grand Pa Must Obey, directed by Chibuzor Afurobi and written by Saviour Kings Bob, was released in cinemas on Friday,November 21 and is distributed by FilmOne Entertainment.