Nollywood actor Gabriel Afolayan is urging viewers and filmmakers alike to embrace constructive criticism as a key driver of progress in Nigeria’s film industry. In a recent interview with Saturday Beats, he emphasized that “criticism is needed” — asking, “How do we get better if people are not ready to talk about what we are doing? Both the audience and filmmakers have to come together.”
He confidently asserted that Nollywood is up for any challenge, including higher-budget genres like action films. According to him, the audience is sophisticated and ready for diverse, mind-blowing content. “You don’t know how intelligent people are until you create something that will blow their minds,” he said — stressing that, ultimately, audience feedback is what validates a film’s success.
Gabriel also praised Nigerian moviegoers for their discerning approach to film, saying they often analyze movies with a level of depth usually seen from industry insiders: “The taste buds of Nigerians when it comes to different movie genres are very sharp… ordinary people dissect movies, and you’ll be amazed.
