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Veteran Actress, Iya AJIROTUTU
Her name may not immediately strike any recognition but once you see her face, then it clicks. The face is familiar. She is one of those very popular actresses that graced our movie screens back then. Her name is Esther Oluwaranti Moradeke Adebayo, popularly known as Iya Ajirotutu. She has featured in many movies and dramas produced by some of the biggest names in the industry. Two weeks ago, at the movie premiere of Ojo Ale, City People’s Senior Editor, WALE LAWAL (08037209290) had a brief chat with Iya Ajirotutu who also played a role in the much talked about movie. Here are excerpts.
How do you feel, ma, with the fact that you’re part of the movie, Ojo Ale, and today, you are reuniting with most of your contemporaries that you have not seen in decades, how does this make you feel?
If one drives a trailer inside me right now, the person would have a smooth ride. This is because it has been long time we all went to location to shoot a movie. I am so happy with what Doyin has done. In fact, this is why elders say wisdom has nothing to do with age, wisdom has its own place, age has it’s own place. Sometimes, God will give the wisdom of the eldery to a young person, and sometimes he gives that of a young person to an elder, because common sense, wisdom, maturity, they all belong to God, and God, in His infinite mercy blessed Doyin Amodu with all of these. I am telling you that, many of us have passed on and many more would’ve joined them because producers were no longer calling us to be part of their productions. And at this stage of our lives, we cannot begin to start learning vocational trades, acting is the only thing we knew how to do. Some of us are over 60, some over 70, a lot are close to 100 years amongst us, so is it at this stage of our lives that we will start learning a new job or trade? It is this acting profession that we all chose right from our youth, nothing else mattered to us. But when they stopped calling us for jobs, the situation threw many into depression. Many have become so hypertensive that their health is now in God’s hands. But when Doyin Amodu emerged, she turned us into happy, joyous people. I pray in God’s name that as Doyin’s glory has started to blossom from her youth, she will not suffer in her old age. She will never lack anything. I am so happy beyond measure. I used to be a lot fatter than this. It is the many challenges I faced that left me looking so lean. By the time Doyin Amodu brought us all together, I was leaner than this. But right now, I thank God I am looking much better. And it is because I am no longer depressed like I used to be. When we got to location, she took great care of all of us the way a parent would take care of his or her child. Doyin is different from the rest, I can only pray that God will continue to lift her up.
How were you able to cope with those challenging moments you talked about such that, yet, despite everything, you’re still looking young and your face hasn’t changed much?
Well, I thank God for everything, it is not my making, it is God’s making. I am a Christian, I attend Christ Apostolic church, Agbala Itura led by Baba Abiara. I fought the battle with prayers, that’s what I did. If not, the misfortune that befell me and my children, if we split it into ten different parts, one part of it alone would’ve taken the lives of many. But because of fasting and prayers, God rescued me. I was not even done yet with the fasting and prayers, Doyin Amodu came. Can you see how my God works? I don’t know how God did it, all I know is that all the praises go to Him and to Him alone.
If you are to look back, how many years ago would you say you started actring?
Ah, it’s been a long time. I was about 12 years old when my brother, same father, same mother, whom we all knew as Alhaji Ganiu Bisi Gaboye Ojikutu, the husband of veteran actress, Ato Aseku, also the husband of Iya Ibeji Omo Ayele, he brought all three of us into the acting profession. He took me on stage in 1972. We toured everywhere up north, east, west, everywhere. Back then, we were always busy. My brother didn’t treat me like we were siblings, he treated me like I was just an ordinary member of the group. He was very hard on me. He wanted the very best for me because our parents never approved for him to go into theater. My brother would force me to go on stage and act. Sometimes, we would be gone for a year. I was called Oyinkini back then because I was just 12 years old. I grew up in the hands of our mother Ato Aseku because ever since she came into the family, we became one. Today, yes, I may have lost my biological mother, but Ato Aseku has stood solidly behind me the way a mother would. She will never allow any harm come to me. She will rise up and fight for me in the face of the slightest intimidation. She has tried a lot for me. Iya Ibeji Omo Ayele too has been good to me. She has never done me any harm. I appreciate her too. But Ato Aseku has been wonderful to me.
Can you remember the particular movies that really brought you to limelight?
Oh, thank you. By the time we evolved into doing movies on VCD, I had already become popular playing role of a witch in many dramas. I was known as Ajiun back then. I played the role of head of witches in the days of Miran Iyesi. Later, we did Aje ni ya mi, I was also known as Ajiun in the drama. Later, Mr. Dehinde and Thompson started their own. Then, later Baba Suwe came and said he wanted me to feature in his movie that was to be produced in VCD. He brought me back to Ikorodu. That was the movie that created the very populr, ‘tin ba ri Jingosa, mi ni fedi le.’ I played the role of food seller. Jingosa had come to my place to eat and said Eddy would pay for his meal. Then, Eddy came and ate and then said Jingosa had paid. I said no way, if I do not see Jingosa, I won’t let Eddy go!’ This was shot in Ikorodu and that was where Mr. Dehinde and Thompson saw me and featured in Iwa Eda kan gogo. It was in that movie that I played the role of Moradeke ore odale. Shortly after, my brother too shot his own movie titled, Igi Elera where I played the role of an aged woman called Iya Ajirotutu ma ro gbigbona. Later, somebody else did Omi Dudu, that also elevated my career. But the one that finally did it for me was Ajileye’s drama, Igba Sango. It is the success of that movie that I am benefitting from till today.
What words of advice do you have for the younger ones?
Let me start by telling them that there is no one that would not go through one form of hardship or the other to achieve success in whatever you do. The youths too should be ready make sacrifices. You see a lot of us today who have made our marks in the industry, it all came through nothing but hard work. If you get desperate and you engage in rituals to become famous overnight, death is the ultimate reward. I suffered very well before God answered my prayer. And don’t you ever envy those ahead of you because if you do, those coming behind you too will pull you down.
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