That seem to be a genuine question following the release of the movie titled” Everybody love Jenifa” by a renowned actress Funke Akindele popular known as Jenifa. To answer that question, stick to this till the end.
Since the release of the movie Jenifa in 2008. The comic character, Jenifa became a of interest to the general public. The role played by Funke Akindele brought smiles to the lips of the audience and side-splitting laughter. The movie won Funke Akindele an award in 2009 as Best Actress in a lead role.
Whether it was the way she mastered the role or the breathe of fresh air the character seem to bring Funke Akindele as a person became the character Jenifa in the eyes of the public.
Maximising the opportunity that the character Jenifa brought, Funke Akindele created the show “Jenifa Diary”.
As I write this, I can’t help but remember the influence Jenifa Diary had on me as a growing child. Every Sunday, it became normal that everyone would be at the living room filled with anticipation to view the week’s episode. We would all sit quietly waiting for the show to begin.
I remember the joy on our faces the next day when we dissect the episodes with our friends. We would try to speak like her, writing down lines from her words the day before. Every Monday, the word “Jenifa’s Diary” would be heard on the lips of hundreds of students and teachers inclusive.
One of the beautiful things about the show was the lesson we learnt admist laughing. Missing the show meant being left out on Monday morning. It was beautiful to watch the character Jenifa work from the bottom to the very top as the owner of Jenifa hair. Episodes by episodes we consumed 15 seasons.
About 2 years ago, it became a ritual for audience to enjoy Christmas time movies produced by Funke Akindele. Trust me, each one of them has been a banger. The movies are always worth the viewers time.
Last year, the movie, ” A Tribe called Judsh” became Nigerian highest grossing movie in 2023. The movie was applauded for it’s publicity. Funke Akindele soon became the Queen of movie PR to social media users.
At mid year, Funke Akindele already began to publicise the movie, “Everybody loves Jenifa”. The publicity was unmatched as she began to advertise the movie. Considering the history the character Jenifa has, it was joy to every viewer of the show and movie.
Market women, bike riders and street vendors were given t-shirt, umbrella and caps. The movie became wildspread even before the viewers saw the trailer. We were introduced little by little to the characters. Wow! What a blend. They were actors and actresses who we have all seen in the past show and a mix of influences and new actors.
If the title of the movie was not intriguing enough, the cast of the movie made the audience wonder. We were left guessing the story line of the movie.
The trailer of the movie increased the appetite of the viewers concerning the movie. As everyone began to anticipate the movie.The cast of the movie came together to sing a Christmas song. Let me just summarise it for you, Jenifa was everywhere.
Have I talked about the premiere?
On a busy or calm afternoon as the case may be, every social media user saw on their phones different celebrities with a briefcase as the invite package to the premiere. The premiere was announced to be December 8th.
The premiere was a wonderful sight to behold as an influx of celebrities gathered together to watch the movie. The After party themed premiere was indeed an after party with the guest appearance of the legendary Lagbaja.
Finally, the movie came to the cinema yesterday and it has been reviews upon reviews. Some say the movie had interesting twist, others are happy that the movie brought back the nostalgia they felt. From cinematographic point of view, the movie was applauded. Every cast seem to have out did themselves in executing their roles. Indeed, watching the movie was lots of laugh.
Let me answer the question, I asked initially.
DOES EVERYBODY LOVES JENIFA? The best way for me to answer that is to encourage you to go to the nearest cinema and check ot out. Remember, Say no to piracy.
Edited By: Oladeji Olabisi
