SAIDI BALOGUN & MOVIE MARKETER EPSALUM AT WAR OVER NEW MOVIE ( Exclusive )

Source: Taiwo Obatusin for http://nigeriafilms.com
SAIDI BALOGUN
SAIDI BALOGUN

This may not be the best of times for top movie star and director, Saidi Balogun and Lagos top movie marketer, Alhaji Kazeem Afolayan .

Areliable source close to the top Yoruba movie maker revealed that there has been a brewing disagreement between Saidi
and Alhaji Kazeem Afolayan who owns Epsalum Movie Productions Limited over the actual number of sales of Modupe Temi a movie recently produced by Saidi Balogun. A reliable source close to Saidi revealed to thhttp://nollywoodgists.com that there was an agreement between the movie artiste and the marketer to sell 20,000 copies after which they may both agree that the marketer should sell more copies. But it was Saidi who printed copies of the movie sleeve as part of their agreement.

This was to check any irregularities. Eventually, the movie was released sometime in early June. Our source revealed with
the hype the movie got as well as commendations Saidi got for producing the movie, he had no doubt that the movie will record sale of about 50,000 copies in the first month of the release. Contrary to his (Saidi's) expectations, Epsalum claims he has only sold 17,000 copies in the last one month. This led to some argument and disagreement. Saidi premised his claims on the fact that he receives several calls from fans calling him to ask where the movie can be purchased.

We gather that Saidi reported the case to a few major movie marketers who have their sales outlet in Nigeria's largest movie market in Lagos known as Ebinpejo Lane, Idumota Lagos. He threatened to give the rights of the sale of the movie in Nigeria to another marketer once the movie has recorded sale of the agreed 20,000 copies.

Several calls were made to Alhaji Afolayan to get his own side of the story but could not be reached. After several efforts to reach him on phone which was futile, http://nollywoodgists.com reporter sent him the following text message;

Alhaji good morning. Please kindly react to rumours that you and Saidi Balogun have misunderstanding over the figure of sales of Modupe Temi. Please call or reply. After 5 minutes that the text message was delivered, Alhaji Afolayan called http://nollywoodgists.com reporter saying. is not true that I have any misunderstanding with Saidi. He is my good friend and we
have a cordial business relationship. What happened as per the issue of sales of Modupe Temi is that we experienced incessant power failure which made it impossible for us to produce more copies of the movie. We have since overcome that
and we have continued to make copies of the movie available for sale. I don't have problems with Saidi.

Though Saidi himself was not forth coming on the issue when he was contacted. And several efforts to make him speak proved abortive as the time of going to the press. A reliable close source to Saidi who spoke on condition of anonymity said, Saidi and Alhaji Kazeem Afolayan agreed to sell Modupe Temi. Initially Saidi insisted Alhaji Afolayan should pay for 30,000 copies. But I think Alhaji Afolayan tried to convince Saidi that he will pay for 20,000 copies and subsequently they agreed that Alhaji Afolayan through his outfit, Epsalum Movies Productions Limited should sell the movies. However Saidi felt there was something amiss when he received several calls that the movie was not available in some parts of the country after about a month and he had not been contacted that the 20,000 copies have been sold. He suspected foul play on the marketer's part.

Asked to comment on the present situation of their relationship, our source said, I think Saidi is still bitter about the situation but the marketer (Alhaji Afolayan) is trying to persuade him through other movie marketers in Idumota to be calm. He has since made a case for himself over the irregularities. The marketer has also gone a step further by signing on the back of every movie jacket sleeve to indicate that the copies were sold by his outfit. However I think Saidi has concluded plans to pitch his tent with another marketer once Alhaji Afolayan eventually declares that he has sold 20,000 copies of the movie.

Modupe Temi a blockbuster two-cast movie was produced by Saidi Balogun and directed by Daniel Adenimokan in year 2007. The movie has a storyline around a young couple who shared a lot in common. Their individual interest made them devise means of outdoing one another. The movie features Saidi Balogun and Doris Simeon Adenimokan.