Darasen Richards enters Nollywood with ‘The Antique’

Produced and directed by Darasen Richards and Dj Tee, The Antique is an epic movie with a difference — a woman gets to take all the glory.

Inspired by events of the Southern Nigeria people in the 19th Century, the fiction stars Oge Indiana, Gabriel Afolayan, Olu Jacobs, Ricardo Agbor and Bimbo Akintola.

It tells the heroic story of Uki, chosen by the gods to retrieve the sacred pot that had been forcefully taken away from the king’s palace 40 years earlier. The sacred pot called the antique had to be brought back to its rightful place at the palace lest the prince and heir to the throne died.

It also tells of the love between the heroine, Uki (played by Oge Indiana) and Uyi (played by Gabriel Afolayan); how their love made it through her sojourn into the land where no one returns alive and an overzealous widow’s interest and eventual evil intent in Uyi. Uki makes it back home alone without the three warriors who had accompanied her in the journey, and the widow is paid back for her evil actions.

Speaking after a private screening and media unveiling of The Antique, producer Darasen Richards revealed it took 10 months to make the movie because of the need to pay attention to details.

“This is my first production, so I just wanted great,” he said.

“It was like ‘go big or go home’. I just wanted to make it big, not to compete with anybody but I just wanted to contribute my quota to Nollywood.”

When asked if there were any obvious flaws or shortcomings in the movie, Darasen said: “As for flaws, it can only get better. Even the big Nollywood films, if you go back and watch them, you will note some flaws. I can only work to do better.

“As for errors that are obvious, I didn’t see them really because we followed all the film-making rules. I studied in England, at London Film School and that’s why I took time to make it.”

As for making an epic movie with a lady taking the glory, Darasen explains: “We chose a lady basically because we are trying to pass the message across that there is more to everyone that meets the eye. The persons who achieves a dream might not look it at the outside. There is an inner strength in everyone, whether a guy or a lady.”

The heroine, Uki, played by Nollywood starlet, Oge Indiana, looked beautiful in makeup and a stylish dress, unlike her innocent-looking character.

She explains her experience shooting the movie in such a serene environment in Ogun State: “It was quite interesting as most of the characters, I am given in Nollywood (and I’m new in Nollywood) have been the classy, you know, ‘ajebo’ type, but this was different.

“When I went for the audition and read the scripts, I was excited because I had been praying to have such a role. It’s a natural setting and it depicts our culture. So when I got the role, I was overwhelmed because I knew it would challenge me to bring out my best.”

The Antique will be premiered on October 16, 2014.