Tunde Kelani

Tunde Kelani (born February 26, 1946), popularly known as TK, is a Nigerian filmmaker. In a career spanning more than four decades, TK specialises in producing movies that promote Nigeria's cultural heritage, particularly that of the Yoruba. He is also known for his screen adaptions of Nigerian novels and plays. These include Koseegbe, O le ku, Thunder Bolt: Magun, The Narrow Path, White Handkerchief, Maami and Dazzling Mirage.

Early life Tunde Kelani was born in Lagos. At the age of five, he was sent to live with his grandparents at Abeokuta in Ogun State. He attended the Oke-Ona Primary School in Ikija, Abeokuta and Abeokuta Grammar School for his secondary education. His grandfather was a chief, the Balogun of Ijaiye Kukudi, one who provided the young Kelani a deep exposure to Yoruba literature, religion, philosophy and arts.

He was especially influenced by Yoruba theatre and in secondary school saw many Yoruba classics, including The Palm-Wine Drinkard, Oba Koso, Kurunmi and works by the playwright Herbert Ogunde.

From his early student days he was also interested in photography and became an apprentice photographer after completing secondary school. He then trained at Western Nigeria Television (WNTV) before attending the London Film School.

Early career In the 1970s, Kelani worked as a BBC TV and Reuters correspondent and in Nigerian TV. His assignments for Reuters included travelling to Ethiopia to cover the drought and to Zimbabwe to report on its independence.

Kelani has also worked on numerous Nigieran films as a cinematographer. Some of these 16mm features include: Anikura; Ogun Ajaye; Iya Ni Wura; Taxi Driver; Iwa and Fopomoyo. In 1990, Kelani was an assistant director and an actor in the 1990 film Mister Johnson, the first American film shot on location in Nigeria. Starring Pierce Brosnan and Maynard Eziashi, the film was based on a 1939 novel by Joyce Cary.

Literary adaptations Kelani was an avid reader from a young age and particularly drawn to authors such as D. O. Fagunwa who centered their writings on their Yorùbá heritage. Once he discovered the relationship between literature and filmmaking, he decided to prioritize adapting literary works to the screen. His favourite writers include Kola Akinlade, Pa Amos Tutuola, Cyprian Ekwensi, Akinwunmi Ishola, Adebayo Faleti, Wale Ogunyemi and Wole Soyinka.

Some of Kelani's most successful films are Nigerian literary adaptations such as: Koseegbe (1995) Oleku (1997), Thunderbolt: Magun, The White Handkerchief (1998), The Narrow Path (2006), Maami (2011) and Dazzling Mirage (2014).

Production company In 1991, Kelani established his production company, Mainframe Films and Television Productions with a focus on adapting Nigerian novels and plays to the big screen.

Under the Mainframe banner, Kelani directed his first film Ti Oluwa Nile (1993), which remains one of Yoruba's best selling films. Other Mainframe productions directed by Kelani followed including Ayo Ni Mo Fe (1994), Koseegbe (1995) Oleku (1997), Thunderbolt: Magun, Saworoide (1999) Agogo Eewo(2002), The Campus Queen (2004), Abeni (2006)The Narrow Path (2006), Arugba (2008), Maami (2011), and Dazzling Mirage (2014), an adaptation of an Olayinka Egbokhare novel about a sickle-cell sufferer who overcomes social stigma, prejudice and low self-esteem, to achieve success, marriage and motherhood. Kelani aimed to bring awareness to sickle-cell and help people make better informed decisions.

Filmography