5 MINUTES WITH THE CAST OF A SECOND HUSBAND

From the stables of Stream OVG comes this intriguing short film; A Second Husband. Produced and directed by Kenim Obaigbena, it tells the story of a seemingly agreeable husband, who suddenly finds himself in a weird “situationship” where his wife brings home a much younger man as her second husband, all in the quest to have a child. In a world where even the thought of polyandry is a taboo, this is a must-see satire which challenges our African patriarchal and polygamous culture. Exclusive to Stream OVG, A Second Husband explores strong themes of feminism while also giving African men a taste of what it feels like to be on the other end of polygamy. In this interview, we speak to two of the main characters, Udoka Oyeka and Jammal Ibrahim on what playing these roles means to them. KONYE CHELSEA NWABOGOR reports.

What was it like playing a man with a polyandrous wife?

Well, it’s not a role or a story that I would have seen coming, which is the beauty of the job - you just never know what world you’ll be thrown into (emotionally or physically). As actors, we think of the romantic, comedic or action characters, obviously the dramatic ones too but this had a different reach so I had to dig deep into the “what-if” scenario while staying true to the character that has been written out in the script. Definitely one of the most emotionally challenging roles I’ve taken on for sure. There was an extra level of vulnerability I had to dwell in to live his truth.

What lessons do you think Nigerians, men and women alike, can learn from a story like this?

I believe it broadens the mind to think on how we treat each other as human beings, but more specifically, it shows how complex the marital institution can be especially when we take a look at it from the other’s perspective. How would you feel as a man if your wife brought another man into the home and vice versa. Beyond the issue of polygamy, it’s a reminder to always think about how your actions (no matter how little or great) will affect your partner. I’m aware that some religions allow for men to marry more than one wife but yet to see any cultural or religious support the other way round.

Tell us about your character, what makes him interesting? What drew you to this role?

Kole is a loving husband who isn’t the breadwinner of his home and the marriage hasn’t been able to conceive a child yet. With all this weight on him, considering the culture, it’s taken a heavy toll on the marriage. What makes him interesting is how powerless he became, it’s not the typical portrayal of a husband with machismo that we are used to seeing both in reality and in fiction. That vulnerability is what drew me to the character, definitely a challenging role and as an actor, I wanted to tackle that and dive in.

Absurd as it might sound, can women have two husbands in Nigeria?

I’m not sure if this would work knowing the culture that exists in Nigeria. I’ve read of a case like this in Kenya and obviously there are several cases of this in the West, but I’m yet to hear of this existing in Nigeria (I might be wrong). I believe if all parties are all in agreement and can live happily, who am I to determine what full grown adults should or shouldn’t do. Personally ko le work for me, (it cant work for me). (Laughter).

Will we see more stories like this in Nollywood?

The growth Nollywood has gone through in the last decade has been tremendous and I’m truly proud of it. The level of production value in our films is pretty much getting close to that in the international space but I feel like we are still holding back when it comes to the kind of stories we tell in this new age. Would love to see more daring stories and more daring projects; and I’m sure with the crop of filmmakers I see now we shall get there sooner than later.