Actor becomes the 1st Nigerian to star in a Bollywood film

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February 1, 2018 11:48 AM

Samuel Robinson goes from Nollywood to Bollywood with "Sudani from Nigeria."

Samuel Robinson, who is popular for his role in "Desperate Housewives Africa," has become the first Nigerian to star in a Bollywood film.

The actor has gone from Nollywood to Bollywood with "Sudani from Nigeria," a film about a poor Nigerian footballer who wins an opportunity to travel to India to represent an international team.

About "Sudani from Nigeria"

The movie focuses on the struggles faced by a foreigner working in a strange country. It also explores the dynamics of his relationship with his manager, teammates, Indians, and the pressure to provide a better life for his very poor family.

"Sudani from Nigeria" stars Samuel Abiola Robinson as Sudu, Soubin Shahir as Majeed, and is produced by Sameer Thahir and Shyju Khalid.

How Samuel Robinson landed a role in "Sudani from Nigeria"

The producers of the movie were searching for young male Nigerian actors on the Internet when they came across his picture.

"I fit what they wanted and they then contacted me to offer me the role. To be honest, when I first got the email, I thought it wasn't genuine," he told Pulse Nigeria.

"I didn't fully believe it was happening till I was on the plane to India. If miracles are real, this was definitely one of them."

His most challenging experience on set of "Sudani from Nigeria"

Despite the presence of a translator on set, Robinson's most challenging experience was the language barrier.

"I struggled with not being able to understand what people were saying most of the time. There was this one time that the director had given instructions in Malayalam (The language of Kerala, India) but forgot to translate.

So, he yelled Action!! and I was just standing there confused about what to do. He cut the camera shot and we all burst out laughing and did a retake later."

What does this achievement mean for the Nigerian film industry?

According to Robinson, it was brought to his attention during his stay in India that he was not only the first Nigerian, but also the first black person in history to play a leading role in an Indian Movie.

"I believe that this achievement is not just mine but Nigeria's and Africa's achievement as well. I deeply hope that this movie will foster better cultural and economic relations between India and Africa," he told Pulse Nigeria.

"I am so bold as to forsee this movie encouraging diversity and opening doors for African Actors and Filmmakers in India and for Indian Actors and Filmmakers in Africa."

Robinson also hopes that through this new relationship between India and Africa, many great movies will be made.

About Samuel Robinson

Samuel Robinson's career began in 2013. He has since appeared in several major productions such as EbonyLife's "Desperate Housewives Africa," M-Net's Tinsel, MTV Base's "Shuga" and Raconteur Production's "8 Bars And A Clef."

There's no release date yet for "Sudani from Nigeria." Directed by Zakariya, the producers are aiming for a release in India and Nigeria.

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