Yeye Bolanle Olatunde (left) and Tunde Alabi-Hundeyin (Dudu)

By Yeye Bolanle Olatunde

If you belong to Nigeria’s Entertainment scene or you’re a Thespian, you must certainly know Mr. Tunde Alabi-Hundeyin who turns 67 today. The former Chairman, Badagry Local Government Area of Lagos was born on 6 June 1953.  We fondly call him Dudu; a go-getter, goal-getter, bridge builder between the young and not too young, thoroughbred professional, free spirited being, trailblazer and pathfinder in his genre.

In 1994, I was Artiste Manager/PR Consultant to Dele Odule. We were on movie location in Ibadan to shoot Lagbondoko. The female lead was to be a female student of The Polytechnic, Ibadan. So we were looking for her for days, she was nowhere to be found. We searched and traced her, no luck. We were worried she was holding down the crew for more than 48 hours.

Dudu was the Movie Director and his fee for just a day as at this time was a big deal not many actors could easily afford. He just looked at me and said; Bolanle you can do this, why don’t you study the script, wear this character and give it a trial? I responded in the negative, he persisted and I finally agreed.

Meanwhile, my darling Uncle Muritala Sule had a few years before inducted me into acting so it wasn’t totally strange to me. This was how I acted the female lead role of Jibike the cop in that movie that was shot in two parts. Till today, the experience remains fresh and evergreen in my memory. 

Dear family, please join me to click glasses and raise a toast in honour of this great and distinguished Nigerian. Help me celebrate a mentor and people builder on his birthday.

My prayer for you today and always is that you will eat the fruits of your labour, you will grow old gracefully, your strength will not wane, the glory of your latter years shall even be greater than the much celebrated former in Jesus Mighty Name.

According to The Guardian, 8 June 2013, 

“A former staff of the Ogun State Television (OGTV), Dudu earned his first major film credit as the director of the 1983 feature film, Ireke Onibudo.

However, when home video production became popular, Tunde, who is also best known for leading in the production of musical videos (he handled the musical videos of most of the artiste under Polygram music label in the 1090s), joined in and led his outfit, Dudu Productions, to produce critically-acclaimed works, including the blockbuster movie, Iyawo Alhaji, which is officially on record as the first commercial (direct to exhibition hall) video film to be censored and classified by the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) in 1994. The movie was later screened in the Cinema Hall of the National Theatre in Iganmu, Lagos.

A one-time chairman of the Badagry Central Council, the tall and dark skinned filmmaker also helmed Amin Orun, which was also a huge success at the box office.”

Happy birthday sir!

-Yeye Bolanle Olatunde is a Public Relations expert