Simi to star in Kunle Afolayan’s New Movie “Mokalik”

Songstress Simi is taking a shot at acting. The X3M Music star is set to star in Kunle Afolayan‘s new movie Mokalik alongside Femi Adebayo, Ayo Adesanya, Faithia Williams, Lateef Oladimeji, among others.

Kunle Afolayan made the announcement on Instagram, sharing a photo of him and Simi with caption:

It is Official: Simi @symplysimi is featuring in “Mokalik” a Kunle Afolayan film. ‘Jamb Questiom’ crooner, Simisola Ogunleye, aka Simi, has accepted a role in Kunle Afolayan’s coming film, ‘Mokalik’ (Mechanic). The agreement was formalised on Sunday, at the filmmaker’s office, in Lagos.

Beaming with smiles, it is obvious that the sonorous singer, who returned with a ‘Yes’ to Afolayan’s Golden Effects’ office after a week of studying the script, cannot wait to make her debut on the big screen…

It is Official: Simi @symplysimi is featuring in “Mokalik” a Kunle Afolayan film. ‘Jamb Questiom’ crooner, Simisola Ogunleye, aka Simi, has accepted a role in Kunle Afolayan’s coming film, ‘Mokalik’ (Mechanic). The agreement was formalised on Sunday, at the filmmaker’s office, in Lagos. Beaming with smiles, it is obvious that the sonorous singer, who returned with a ‘Yes’ to Afolayan’s Golden Effects’ office after a week of studying the script, cannot wait to make her debut on the big screen. Taking to Instagram minutes later, she shared a voiceless video of herself seated beside Afolayan and flaunting the movie script, with the caption: “@kunleafo and a girl with a script she likes very much.” ‘Mokalik’ (Mechanic) follows the career of an 11-year-old boy, Jaiye, from the middle-class suburbs who spends the day as a lowly apprentice at a mechanic workshop in order to view life from the other side of the tracks. Afolayan says ‘Mokalik’ is a slight departure from the flicks he had shot in the past, adding that there will be two versions of the film; one for the Nigerian market – the other for the international market. Screen-played by Tunde Babalola, inspiration for the story, according to the filmmaker came during his constant visit to the mechanic workshop where he refurbished his much publicised Vintage car (Thunderbird Ford 1965) recently, while the film title, a Yoruba corrupt pronunciation of mechanic is from a scene in one of his late father (Ade Love)’s classic, ‘Taxi Driver’. “Visiting the mechanic workshop after about 15 years opened my eyes to a lot of things that I believe the world should know about our local auto car repairs industry,” he said. Simi will be playing Simi; daughter of a Buka (cafeteria)owner whose character holds a significant part in the movie plot. In the all-Yoruba cast movie, Simi will be acting alongside notable actors like Femi Adebayo, Ayo Adesanya, Faithia Williams, Lateef Oladimeji and comic actors like Wale Akorede (Okunu), Ayo Ogunshina (Papa Lolo) and Dayo Akinpelu (Alabi Yellow). Ire @ayoadesanya @femiadebayosalami @faithiawilliams #film #filmmaking #filmmaker #movie #mokalikthemovie #nollywood #africancinema

A post shared by Kunle Afolayan (@kunleafo) on Aug 27, 2018 at 12:28am PDT

Simi also shared a teaser video via Instagram confirming the new movie project:

@kunleafo and a girl with a script she likes very much 😊

A post shared by Simi (@symplysimi) on Aug 26, 2018 at 7:31am PDT

Mokalik (Mechanic) follows the career of an 11-year-old boy, Jaiye, from the middle-class suburbs who spends the day as a lowly apprentice at a mechanic workshop in order to view life from the other side of the tracks.

From the moment a melancholic Jaiye is dropped off at the mechanic workshop by his father, Ogidan, it is obvious he doesn’t want to be there. Jaiye stands out like a sore thumb in the workshop as he commences his apprenticeship under various mechanics. Along the way, he meets other apprentices, some of who take a liking to him, and others who dislike him.

“Simi will be playing Simi; daughter of a Buka (cafeteria)owner whose character holds a significant part in the movie plot,” the filmmaker said.

Photo Credit: @kunleafo