Too much insults killing Kumawood, says Mr Beautiful

Veteran Ghanaian actor, Mr. Beautiful, has shed light on the challenges facing the Kumawood film industry.

In a recent interview on Joy Prime's Changes, Mr. Beautiful attributed the industry's struggles to the excessive use of insults in movie scripts. 

The actor, whose real name is Clement Bonney revealed that he had previously raised concerns about this issue and offered advice to producers and other stakeholders, but his warnings fell on deaf ears.

“I had little problems with Kumawood people because I used to speak the Fante language and blend with English. 

“I told them that in Kumasi, particular insults that are considered normal to the people cannot be applied to those in the Greater Accra and Coastal regions; there are big insults. So, I told them that the way we’re packaging insults and selling them to the world will affect us, so we should be careful. But they ignored,” he stated.

Mr. Beautiful explained that the prevalence of insults in Kumawood films has led to a backlash from Ghanaians living abroad, who deliberately prevent their children from watching these movies to avoid imitating the offensive behaviour portrayed on screen. 

This, in turn, has had a ripple effect, as these individuals also discourage foreigners from watching Kumawood films, ultimately harming the industry's reputation and reach.

 Mr. Beautiful also shared his personal experience of being asked to speak only in Twi for certain roles, which he refused, resulting in him losing those opportunities. 

Recently, Mr Beautiful offered a surprising endorsement when he posited that polygamy is often misconstrued by those struggling financially, suggesting that it's only perceived as a burden by men with limited economic means. (Related article: Only men who don’t have money speak against polygamy, says Mr Beautiful)

“In this world, if you don’t have money and people talk about having multiple wives, you would see it as a pointless issue…” he stated.