Tunde Kelani Net Worth, Biography

If you’ve ever wondered who Tunde Kelani is, RNN brings you details of his personality, profile, and net worth.

Tunde Kelani (TK) is a Nigerian filmmaker with some blockbusters attached to his name. He is known for works that promote Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage over the years. He is one of the best filmmakers in Nollywood and is currently the third best on RNN’s list of best movie directors in Nigeria.

TK is one of the oldest Nollywood filmmakers in the Nigerian movie industry. In the course of this article, we will highlight some of his award-winning works and achievements.

Biodata

Tunde Kelani Net Worth, Biography

Kelani was born on February 26, 1948 in Lagos, Nigeria. He however relocated to Abeokuta in Ogun State to live with his grandparents. His stay with his grandparents is what shaped his career as a cultural influencer in the movie industry.

The ace director was exposed to the rich culture of the Yorubas at a very tender age and was privileged to witness some of the indigenous live shows, exposing their culture. His grandfather’s title as a chief (the Balogun of Ijaiye Kukudi) also contributed greatly to his love for the African (Nigerian) culture.

Kelani attended Oke-Ona Primary School in Ikija, Abeokuta, and had his secondary school education at Abeokuta Grammar School. During his secondary school days, he invested his time and money into learning photography and became an apprentice in the craft after school.

He trained at the then Western Nigeria Television (WNTV) and also attended the London Film School in later years.

Career and Film Works

Tunde Kelani worked as a correspondent for BBC TV and Reuters in the 1970s. He traveled to countries like  Ethiopia and Zimbabwe to cover major events like the Zimbabwean Independence and Ethiopian drought.

After his study at the London Film School, the veteran film producer returned to Nigeria where he co-produced his first movie with Adebayo Faleti. The movie was titled “The Dilema of Rev. Father Michael” (Idaamu Paadi Minkailu) and had other co-producers like Wale Fanubi, Yemi Farounbi, and Alhaji Lasisi Oriekun. The movie is an adaptation of a book with the same title written by Faleti.

Kelani has also worked on a lot of Nigerian-produced feature films as a cinematographer, producer, and ace director. His feature films include:

• Anikura
• Ogun Ajaye
• Iya Ni Wura
• Taxi Driver
• Iwa
• Fopomoyo

One of Kelani’s achievements in the 1990s include his role as an assistant director and actor in the 1990 movie, Mister Johnson. The movie was the first American film shot on location in Nigeria. It featured renowned actors like Pierce Brosnan and Maynard Eziashi. It was a literary adaptation of Joyce Cary’s 1939 novel.

Company

Tunde Kelani began his own production company, Mainframe Films and Television Productions in 1991. The company produces adaptations of books and plays for cinema as a way of celebrating writers and educating the public.

The company has produced movies such as Thunderbolt (Magun), Saworoide, Agogo Eewo, Ti Oluwa Nile, Ayo Ni Mo Fe, Koseegbe, Oleku, The Campus Queen, Abeni, Narrow Path, Arugba, and Maami.

His 2015 work, Dazzling Mirage is an adaptation of Olayinka Egbokhare’s novel. The love story spotlights how a sickle-cell patient overcomes social stigma, prejudice low self-esteem to achieve success, marriage, and motherhood.

His latest film is Ayinla, a movie that has attracted nationwide accolades and is currently on Netflix.

Tunde Kelani Net Worth

Tunde Kelani has an estimated net worth of $1 million, making him one of the richest filmmakers in Nigeria.