Funke Akindele Reveals D’banj's Crucial Role in Launching Her 'Jenifa' Brand [Video]

Image: Daily Post

Record-breaking Nollywood actress and producer Funke Akindele has opened up about the pivotal role ace musician D’banj played in her illustrious career.

The Nigerian box office's highest-grossing filmmaker shared that D’banj provided crucial financial support that enabled her to start her famous 'Jenifa' brand of films, which catapulted her to fame.

Akindele made this revelation during D’banj’s 20 years in the music industry anniversary dinner, held in Lagos on Saturday. Reflecting on her journey, she recounted the significant encounter that changed her career trajectory.

"After the big break with ‘Jenifa,’ I was out there, and people were celebrating me. A club owner invited me to his club then. He said, ‘I want to host you. You’re very hard-working. I love ‘Jenifa’. Come with your cast and crew members.’ So, we went, and I saw D’banj for the first time. I was starstruck. But he said, ‘I am here to celebrate you.’ So we danced, and he gave me his number," she recalled.

Akindele continued, “He took me to a quiet place and said, ‘Why did you let ‘Jenifa’ go like that? That’s a brand that you can feed on for the rest of your life.’ I was like, ‘What’s this guy saying? Me that was doing Yoruba movies.’ He said, ‘No, ‘Jenifa’ has to come back. Get in touch with me, any support you need I will give you.’ So I reached out to him, and he said, ‘When you have a brand, you feed on the brand. You milk the brand very well, make money out of it.’”

"He gave me some money and said, ‘Go and write another ‘Jenifa’. I support you with this money.’ I was like, ‘Really? No strings attached?’ He said, ‘No.’ That was how we filmed ‘The Return Of Jenifa.’ And till date, the brand is still relevant. Christmas 2024, we are coming with ‘Everybody Loves Jenifa’,” Akindele revealed.

This heartfelt recount highlights D’banj's instrumental support in Funke Akindele's career, demonstrating how pivotal his encouragement and financial backing were in sustaining the 'Jenifa' brand.

As anticipation builds for the upcoming 'Everybody Loves Jenifa,' fans can appreciate the deep-rooted partnership and mutual respect between these two Nigerian entertainment icons.

See it below:

Funke Akindele showering D'banj with love and praise.
She also spoke about how D’bang supported her movie “ Jennifer” pic.twitter.com/9IgYPpA4v1

— Bukky❤️ (@_callmebekky) June 7, 2024

Source: Daily Post

#D'banj
#Funke Akindele
#Jenifa Brand