Ghanaian actor Clement Bonney, popularly known as Mr. Beautiful, has shed light on why the local movie industry, Kumawood, is facing challenges sustaining its success.
In a recent interview with Joy Prime’s Roselyn Felli on the Changes show the actor highlighted key factors contributing to the industry’s decline.
Mr. Beautiful pointed out that the frequent use of insults in Kumawood scripts has played a significant role in its downfall.
He revealed that he had raised concerns about this issue early on and advised producers and other industry stakeholders to be mindful of the impact such language could have. Unfortunately, his advice was disregarded.
“I had some issues with the Kumawood industry because I used to speak Fante and blend it with English. I told them that certain insults, which may be acceptable in Kumasi, are considered offensive in the Greater Accra and Coastal regions.
I warned them that the way we package and promote insults to the world would hurt the industry. But they ignored me,” he explained.
According to Mr. Beautiful, many Ghanaians living abroad discouraged their children from watching Kumawood movies because they didn’t want them to imitate the rude language portrayed in the films.
This led to a decline in viewership among Ghanaians abroad, who also influenced foreigners not to engage with Kumawood content.
He further shared that his refusal to speak only in Twi for certain movie roles led to him losing opportunities. Producers insisted that he stick to Twi, but he believed in incorporating other languages like Fante and English to appeal to a broader audience.
In addition to the language issue, Mr. Beautiful highlighted another challenge: the industry’s slow adaptation to technological advancements. As the world embraced digital marketing and modern film techniques, Kumawood remained stuck in outdated practices.
“When other countries were transitioning to digital marketing, we were still producing movies in parts 1 and 2. By the time we realized it, we had become obsolete. That has affected us greatly,” he told Roselyn Felli.
