Throwback Thursday: Looking at 'Living In Bondage'

Let's take a trip back to the yester-years. Many fads have surfaced pushing the old ones to the back seat.

On this Thursday being the day that heralds us into the weekend, it would be nice to remember some of those movies, musicals, trends and the likes that we rocked or listened to or watched back in the days. Let us get thrown back some decades past...

Let me start by remembering 'Living in Bondage'.

This drama thriller considered to be the first Nigerian block-buster movie was written by Kenneth Nnebue and Okechukwu Ogunjiofor and directed by Chris Obi Rapu. It was also produced by Kenneth Nnebue and hit the market in 1992 with a running time of 163 minutes.

It starred Kenneth Okonkwo, Francis Agu, Kanayo.O.Kanayo, Okechukwu Ogunjiofor and a host of others.

The film tells the story of a married man, Andy Okeke who loved his wife Merrit enormously but is heart broken because of his lack of wealth. He keeps looking to land it big but nothing happens until he meets with his long-lost school mate Paulo (played by Okechukwu Ogunjiofor) . He is alarmed by how rich Paulo is and wants in on whatever his friend did to gain so much wealth.


He is so keen on making it that Paulo decides to teach him how to fish instead of giving him a little fish that he would afterwards be hungry for more. So Paulo asks him if he is willing to do anything to get rich. He eagerly says yes and so begins his journey into the pit he would later wish he didn't enter.

He eventually sacrifices his wife unknowingly for ritual purposes and gets haunted by her ghost until he runs stark raving mad.

At the end of the flick, he is restored to health by a prayer warrior and her team. The prayer warrior was once a prostitute who changed for the better.

This movie cast in Igbo language was seen and enjoyed by many who were born at the time but Nollywood has come a long way from that now. It is also interesting to know that decades from then, Kenneth Okonkwo who played Andy Okeke and Kanayo.O.Kanayo who was a part of the secret cult are still kings in the acting game.Age has also been fair to them. Okechukwu Ogunjiofor on the other hand is still hale and hearty but has taken a leave from the screens for the younger generation to show what they've got.

Francis Agu who starred as Ichie Million in the movie died in 2007 aged 42.

The movie remains to be called Nollywood's first blockbuster.

What movie or music or trend from back in the days come to your mind...