Popular and veteran actor, Antar Laniyan, has said movie streaming platforms have challenged Nigerian film producers, directors, and thespians, among others, to do better when producing movies to educate and entertain members of the public.
He said this during an exclusive chat with reporters on Monday; emphasising that the presence of these streaming services had disallowed substandard movies, hence making movie producers and others put in more work to achieve standard results.
According to Laniyan, “Things are a lot better now compared to how they were when I started acting. Now, there’s Netflix, DSTV, ShowMax, and many more. They are making things better. It is good to have them around.
In his words, “Technically, they have made the movie industry better. Now, if you submit any movie to Netflix, they will not accept it except it is up to the required standard.
He pointed out further that, “They don’t accept anything that is substandard and this is a good challenge for us. If you want your movie on Netflix or any other movie streaming platform, you must work very hard and make sure you meet the standards.
He also said that, “Even if you don’t meet up to the standards, you work even harder to make it. No one wants to make substandard films anymore. This is because they won’t be accepted.”
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Antar Laniyan noted again that being educated is very crucial towards achieving greater heights in the Nigerian movie industry.
He explained that, “If you’re coming into the industry, be armed with education because there’s no way you won’t need that education in your trade. You need it to make you belong, so no one sees you as a nobody.
“For me,” he said, “I am benefiting from the fact that I went to school and it’s helping my trade as it is. I wonder how it would have been if I didn’t go to school. This is something the young ones need to know.”
Talking about celebrity marriage crashes, Laniyan advised his colleagues to marry their friends in order to have long-lasting relationships, adding that they should also desist from bringing their relationship affairs to the public.
The movie star added that, “You need to marry your friend. If you marry your friend, both of you will have a long-lasting relationship. It all starts with friendship, and when the issue of marriage comes, you still see yourselves as friends. I also don’t publicise my wife. For example, no one knows my wife, so no one can walk up to her and say this and that. Let’s publicise the right things. These are the ingredients that can maintain marriages,” he concluded.
