Nollywood has a new action hero. His name is Tobi Bakre
Nollywood, long known for low-budget soapy romcoms, is now delivering action dramas. One star has shone the brightest.
With lead roles in two major motion pictures - the box office smash Brotherhood and the Amazon Prime Video original Gangs of Lagos - Tobi Bakre has stealthily emerged as the most exciting actor to hit the big screens in a long while.
In Brotherhood, the 2022 action drama that finished its run as the sixth highest-grossing Nollywood film of the modern era at the Nigerian box office, a star was born.
In the film’s climactic scene, the protagonist played by Bakre, surprises a backstabbing murderous comrade attempting an escape. The camera pans in on Bakre, soaking wet from the rain outside, his face contorted into a mask of revulsion, a rifle in his right hand. Before the villain can utter a word in defence, Bakre’s avenging hero fires angrily. He does not miss.
Conjuring an adrenaline rush, this scene - an audience favourite - recalls iconic moments embodied by action legends like Arnold Schwarzenegger and India’s Shah Rukh Khan. And just like these idols, Bakre puts in plenty of commitment to the part.
He tells Al Jazeera, “There was another scene where my character jumps off a bridge and I really wanted to do it. The producers said 'No way' and we had a stunt double do it. But I was ready to do it.”