A veteran movie star, Digidi Dunhill has frowned over the recent death of a Nollywood actor, Junior Pope, saying his death was avoidable.
He lost his life during the shooting of a movie titled, “The Other Side of Life” in Asaba, Delta State. A boat he and the cast and crew were travelling in capsized, leading to his death along with three others.
Reacting to the development, Dunhill while featuring in ABN TV’s ‘Talk Make I Talk,’ said the producers of the movie did not do enough to cater for the welfare of the cast and crew.
According to him, the budget for the shooting of a full movie now was used for the payment of one artiste in his days, saying movie producers now have killed the industry with poor welfare.
“What happened to Junior Pope is very painful, It’s very annoying. Anyway, you don’t blame the dead,” he stated.
“During our time, nobody can enter boat without a life jacket. We will tell the producer, the executive producer that without life jacket, nobody is shooting. There were few of us who were like the police of the industry, once there is a little lack of welfare of artists, we won’t shoot your movie, once there is no security, we will mandate you to provide it.
“Now, they shoot at 2am and 3am and there is no transport, they will expect you to go to your house,” he added.
Dunhill therefore called for adequate security and welfare for artists at all times in order to grow the movie industry.
