Darkside: A Story of Betrayal, Greed and desperation!

Bayo Alawiye’s DarkSide, a story of a man blinded by fate and destroyed by love, is the movie on everyone’s lips. With a poignant trailer already receiving impressive buzz online and a remarkable cast, the movie that is set to premiere this May is going to be one of the most anticipated of 2013. Joy Bewaji had a chat with the movie-maker and two of his main acts…

“I Did Not Want To Make a Diabolical Movie…”
- Bayo Alawiye

How was it like acting a blind man?
I have seen several actors play blind characters before so it wasn’t that difficult. I did not have to go and understudy a blind man to play this. All I did was to understand the man, not his physical status. It took me some time to get into it but once I got the flow, it was fun all the way.

What inspired the idea of the movie?
I can say the idea for DARKSIDE came as a result of some random thinking: What if you can see what people are doing behind you? Or hear people’s thoughts? I however did not want to make a diabolic or spiritual movie, wanted it close to reality as much as possible. So we created the scenario of a blind man and it worked perfectly well for our plot.

What determined your choice of the cast?
Casting was a bit difficult because I was looking for a perfect match – a good-looking man and an irresistible woman, so I found that in Joseph Benjamin and Sylvia Udoegu. I considered Toke Makinwa for the role though I guess she travelled at some point. One other character that was a bit difficult to fill in was the disgruntled worker, I first considered Beverly Naya before Uru Eke. They are both wonderful actresses but Uru got it. We wanted some veterans so we got Nobert Young and Yemi Solade.

What kind of reaction are you hoping to get from the viewers after watching Dark Side?
I want the viewers to think deep about life. I want them to feel that they could be that guy or that girl because really anybody can be good or bad, it’s just a matter of choice.

What’s the best part of putting this movie together?
The best part was when we auditioned. Over one hundred actors and actresses showed up, we auditioned everywhere – supermarkets, malls, restaurants; we took it to the streets, stopping people that look the part whether they’re interested in acting or not. I guess that was the best part.

With the trailer, it looks like a sexually-charged movie…
We played the sexual scenes well; we made sure all our romantic scenes are believable. We just did what was necessary for each scene to aid our plot.

This is your first major English language movie after many Yoruba flicks, how was the transition from Yoruba to English?
Well, it is true this is the first English language movie I have produced. I have been part of quite a number of movies and television dramas that are made in English. This is my first attempt at producing one personally. I created and directed the first set of episodes of About To Wed, a sitcom. I was also one of the directors on Edge of Paradise, an MNET drama series. True, I have produced a few films in Yoruba but I am not sure we can call this a transition because I have been involved in English language projects either as director or as a production personnel.

Being the producer, director and also the lead character of the movie, what was the most challenging role for you?
I think I was lucky to have worked with competent crew members, the best in the industry if I must say. The likes of Byron Ene, Joseph Oladunjoye, Pius Fatoke and so on. They made it easy for me.  And of course the entire cast members, wonderful people. Now I probably look like the Nigerian version of Ben Affleck.
•••••••••••••

‘Love and Romance Should Constantly Be Talked About’
- Uru Eke

Do you think we still need to talk about heart ache and bad romance? What stood out for you in the script?
Oh, but of course, heartbreak and bad romance will never go away. It’s part of our lives as humans and I think it should constantly be talked about. What stood out for me was the fact that my character had the opportunity to expose the rats and offer a chance for real love to come forth.

Your career in Nollywood is very active, just after a couple of years on the scene. What can you attribute this to?
It’s the grace, there’s no way I could have done it on my own.

How do you think viewers will respond to the movie when it premieres?
I’m sure they’ll like it and be entertained

Does your character have any similarities with the real Uru?
In some ways yes because my character is honest and so am I.
•••••••••••••

‘Darkside Will Draw Empathy’
- Joseph Benjamin

Reading the script, what was your first impression?
The energy of the script. It had a life of its own and I could feel.

Do you easily build chemistry with your colleagues on set?
I’m easy going really, so getting to know people is never a big deal. I believe everyone has something special about them and it is always a good thing to find out.

Did you connect with the story; did it speak personally to you?
Not really, but one would feel empathy for any blind man who finds himself in that sort of situation where his wife and best friend connive to take all his worth.