Actress and broadcaster Eyiyemi Rogbinyin has shared her experience playing the role of Iya Onidiri in the epic series Itura.
In an interview with QEDNG publisher Olumide Iyanda, Eyiyemi who portrays Iya Onidiri, a village gossip in the series, shared insights into her journey on the show.
Unlike her character, she emphasised that she does not condone spreading gossip in real life.
“I do not believe in spreading gossip; there’s nothing to gain from it. If someone confides in you, keep it to yourself. And if you must share, ensure the person remains anonymous,” she said.
Discussing the linguistic challenges she faced, Eyiyemi revealed that the cast was prohibited from speaking Lagos Yoruba.
“It was quite exciting, actually, because it was an epic series, and we were not allowed to speak Lagos Yoruba. We had a cultural consultant on set,” she explained.
She described how she would meet with the consultant a day before filming to clarify certain phrases, practicing them diligently until she perfected her delivery.
“It was an opportunity to work with a phenomenal production company, which made the process enjoyable,” she added.
Eyiyemi also spoke about the loyal fan base of the show, particularly a community on social media known as Itura Fans, who have been following Africa Magic series for years.
“These people they’ve had these community for as long as seven or eight years, if not longer than nine years.
“They started with the first Africa Magic series, Ajoche, and have kept that community alive. They watch the program and then discuss it on social media,” she said.
She expressed her appreciation for the community, noting how they remind her of people like herself—individuals who run businesses but still find time to engage with the series and discuss it passionately online.
The broadcaster also shared an interesting anecdote about how the community organised a final premiere for Itura and another series, Covenant, without requesting any financial support.
She highlighted that many fans of Itura are not active on social media, and some of them are people you wouldn’t expect to be viewers.
Recalling an encounter with a public figure who is also a fan, Eyiyemi described how the individual excitedly recognised her at an event and was eager to return home to watch the series.
Another encounter made her realise the impact of the series. “The production was fantastic and true to life. If it wasn’t, people wouldn’t leave what they’re doing to watch it live when they could easily record it and watch later,” she observed.
Reflecting on the research that went into making Itura authentic, Eyiyemi explained, “The research was thorough, even down to how often characters changed their clothes and why.
“Some viewers complained about the repetitive costumes, but I remind them to consider Victorian movies, where characters also have a limited wardrobe unless their social status changes.”
She added that the series featured a cultural consultant on set to ensure that the language and cultural details were accurate.
“We couldn’t speak Lagos Yoruba, it had to be specific,” she reiterated.
Itura is an epic series aired on M-Net Africa Magic.
