''O Le Ku'' is a 1997 Nigerian romantic drama film produced and directed by

Tunde Kelani Tunde Kelani (born 26 February 1948), 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 rich cultural heritage and have a root in documentation ...

. It is an adaptation of Prof. Akinwunmi Ishola's novel of the same name. It was released in 1997 by Mainframe Film and Television Productions. It was made in two parts.

Plot

''O Le Ku'' tells the story of Ajani, an undergraduate of the

University of Ibadan The University of Ibadan (UI) is a public research university in Ibadan, Nigeria. The university was founded in 1948 as University College Ibadan, one of many colleges within the University of London. It became an independent university in 196 ...

who is in his final year. He is under pressure from his mother to find a partner and he unwittingly finds himself in a love quadrangle. He dates three women simultaneously; Asake, a secondary school teacher is his long-term girlfriend. He meets Lola a fresher who is tall, slim and pretty. The situation gets complicated when he meets a childhood acquaintance who eventually takes centre stage of the love drama. Asake's father badgers her to sever her relationship with Ajani but she however falls pregnant and Lola finds out and Ajani has to choose a wife under duress from his mother.

Cast

Yemi Shodimu Yemi Shodimu (born 29 January 1960) is a Nigerian dramatist, television presenter, film director and filmmaker. Early life He was born in Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun State southwestern Nigeria. He spent his early life in Abeokuta at the pal ...

as Ajani *Feyikemi Abodunrin as Asake *Pauline Dike as Lola *Omolola Amusan as Sade *

Lere Paimo Lere Paimo , (born 19 November 1939) is a Nigerian film actor, film maker, producer and director. Early life Chief Lere Paimo, MFR was born on November 19, 1939 in Ile Ikoyi Odan, Osupa, Ogbomosho, a city in Oyo State southwestern Nigeria. His ...

as Adeleke, Asake's dad *

Kola Oyewo Kola Oyewo (born 27 March 1946) is a Nigerian veteran actor, dramatist, and scholar. Early life He was born on 27 March 1946 at Oba Ile, a town in Osun State, South West (Nigeria). Education He attended Obafemi Awolowo University where he obta ...

as Oloye Ajasa *

Hafiz Oyetoro Afeez Oyetoro (born 20 August 1963) is a Nigerian comic actor, popularly known as "Saka". Early life and education Afeez Oyetoro was born on 20 August 1963, in Iseyin Local Government Area of Oyo State southwestern Nigeria. Afeez obtained a B ...

*Gboyega Olomodosi

Production

Significant parts of the film were filmed on location at the University of Ibadan.

Reception

''O Le Ku'' was said to have sparked the short aso oke Iro and Buba fashion trend also called Oleku. It was listed as one of the ten iconic Nollywood stories from the 90s.

Akin Adesokan Akin Adesokan is a Nigerian writer, scholar and novelist with research interests into twentieth and twenty-first century African and African American/African Diaspora literature and cultures. He is currently the associate professor of comparat ...

in his 2011 book described the film as "the best example of Yoruba language film in Nollywood regarding how the actors and actresses articulate their point of views in “undiluted” Yoruba language." It has been adopted to teach foreign

Yoruba Language Yoruba (, ; Yor. '; Ajami script, Ajami: ) is a language spoken in West Africa, primarily in South West (Nigeria), Southwestern Middle Belt, and Central Nigeria. It is spoken by the Ethnic group, ethnic Yoruba people. The number of Yoruba speake ...

learners in institutions in the United States and Europe due to the standard of Yoruba Language spoken in the movie.

References

External links