Veteran Yoruba actor, director and producer Sunny Alli has said he does not believe in money rituals, describing many witchcraft-themed storylines in Nollywood as unrealistic and lacking credibility.
The actor, known for films such as Omo Ghetto, Lagos Girls (Omoge Eko), Omo Olè and Okan Soso, made the remarks during a recent episode of Oyinmomo, where he spoke in Yoruba about scriptwriting, superstition and his personal beliefs.
According to Alli, there are certain themes he deliberately avoids when writing movie scripts because they are not based on realities people can verify.
“There are some lines that can never be in my scripts. Like witch meetings, I feel it is not realistic because we do not know if it is true. No one has experienced it. Do they rent a hall? Some even say they wear red clothes. Who went there?” he asked.
Questioning popular portrayals of witches in films, the actor said there was no evidence to support many of the claims frequently depicted on screen.
“Who is the witch that documented everything? How do witches even look? I can write about hit-and-run because it is real. Those are things people experience,” he said.
Alli also dismissed claims surrounding money rituals, arguing that many of the popular narratives do not stand up to logical scrutiny.
“I always say I do not believe in money rituals because I once asked them a question. They said a demon brings money. Does the demon have a printing machine? Will it steal money from the Central Bank of Nigeria or a Bureau de Change?” he said.
He explained that when those questions could not be answered, people often changed the explanation.
“I asked them, and they were confused, so they came up with another myth that the money comes through a contract that the person did not even bid for. I love realistic scripts. I do not believe in money rituals,” he added.
The actor also opened up about his past gambling habit, revealing that he once participated in football betting before deciding to stop.
“I used to bet before. I mean football betting, but God does not support it. We thank God it is now in the past,” he said.
Alli is a founding member of the Odunfa Caucus and has remained one of the notable figures in the Yoruba film industry, recognised for his emotional acting style and contributions as an actor, producer and director.
Read the full article here
