Nollywood actor Ibrahim Chatta has finally addressed claims of being an underrated actor in Nollywood.
In an interview with his colleague, Biola Bayo for her podcast, Talk to B, he stated that contrary to popular belief, he isn’t underrated. The Yoruba actor described him as a lucky person, as he has enjoyed so much Grace from God, which he doesn’t deserve.
Ibrahim revealed that he is one of the highest-paid Yoruba-speaking actors, and his colleagues know that his charges are high, but because he doesn’t post things on social media, people think he is wise.
“And I will say this to my fans, I love you so much. You guys are amazing people. A lot of times, people will say Ibrahim Chatta is underrated; no, I am one lucky bastard. I have enjoyed the grace of God too much. I don’t deserve the things God did to me. I am one of the highest-paid Yoruba-speaking actors. My colleagues know that my charges are high, but because they don’t see me posting things on social media, they think otherwise.
My fans have helped me get a good life, despite that I am not educated. What helped me was I was already earning from music (soundtrack), so I was able to get paid whenever people wanted me to feature in their movies, even when my colleagues hadn’t started demanding money”.
Elsewhere in the interview, Ibrahim had opened up on his past struggles as a bus conductor. He revealed that he once lived in a room with 9 people, and it was difficult. He said he would walk from Agege to Ikeja and even worked as a bus conductor for eight years. The talented actor noted how he had worked so hard in life and prayed that God crown his efforts.
Ibrahim has no doubt come a long way in his career. Just a few days back, his colleague, Odunlade Adekola had honored him with a recognition award for his contribution to the Yoruba movie industry.
Last month, Ibrahim was left humbled following a visit by the Oyo State National Police Force (NPF) to his Film village. He shared a video of their visit, as he expressed how humbled he was to receive them. He revealed that they discussed the security of their community, curbing piracy, and sensitive movie props around Oyo State with ease.
Last year, Nigerians had angrily reacted to the snub of Ibrahim Chatta by AMVCA, as he wasn’t nominated despite his role in Femi Adebayo’s film King of Thieves, which contributed greatly to the success of the movie. Sharing their thoughts online, many noted that Ibrahim Chatta is a brilliant actor who is good at interpreting different roles perfectly. He has delivered perfectly well since the first time he appeared on the screen as an actor.
Speaking out for himself, Chatta lamented over how AMVCA didn’t give him an invite to the prestigious award ceremony. He stated that he wasn’t bothered by the lack of acknowledgment as he knows there are lots of actors who are better than him. However, his major concern was why he didn’t get invited to the ceremony, but his junior colleagues scored the invites.