Bob Smith Jnr aka Diabolo
Experienced actor, Bob Smith Jnr famously known as Diabolo has labeled Juliet Ibrahim’s statement that young filmmakers are those who are placing Ghana on the map as narrow minded and arrogant.
According to a publication, while talking to the journalists, Juliet Ibrahim at the premiere of her fellow actress and producer Salma Mumin’s movie ‘No Man’s Land’ at the Silverbird Cinema said, “The young filmmakers nowadays are placing Ghana movie industry on the map. When I go to Nigeria, people get to hear about the Ghana film industry; the reason is that they hear I’m a Ghanaian celebrity.
Responding to the statement in an interview on Thursday, Bob Smith said it was inappropriate for the actress to give such remarks.
“Does she want to say that her antecedents did not do much for her to take the baton?” he questioned.
“Don’t you remember Kwao Ansah’s “Heritage” and other such films? They became international hits even before our career started and Juliet’s generation came. ”Kukurantumi” and “African Timber” both were Ghanaian films that became international. So I think such a statement is arrogant on the part of someone who has just become a star,” he added.
He didn’t agree that the apparent absence of old actors from the limelight should justify such an uncreative statement. He said that veteran artists did all they could to uphold the movie industry before the current generation came, adding that they are still available for film roles provided producers would employ them.
“Nowadays, many young people have started producing films and they would definitely want to bring young people in the limelight, so I think that Juliet is not seeing beyond. She is showing unprofessional attitude. She assumes this is her time. After sometime, no production house would like to call her for movie roles because of such statements of her.” He said.
The Mama Mia actor asked Juliet Ibrahim to apologize for her comments.
“She should apologize. It is not the best thing to say,” he noted.
