Veteran filmmaker Tunde Kelani has shared a moment of reunion with actress Alhaja Folashade Jimoh Aliu.
The director posted a photo of both of them on Instagram in the early hours of Tuesday, reflecting on their long history in the Yoruba travelling theatre scene.
He captioned the post, “The last time we shared a film set was during Àyànmọ́ by Hubert Ogunde, and later Fopomoyo by Jimoh Aliu.
Yesterday in Abeokuta, I reunited with Alhaja Folashade Jimoh Aliu during the filming of Heroes of the Yoruba Travelling Theatre.
A beautiful reminder that our stories endure through time—and through us.
Ire ni o.
TK”
Kelani and Folashade Aliu both have roots in the Yoruba travelling theatre tradition, a movement that shaped early Nigerian stage and film culture. The late Hubert Ogunde, often regarded as a pioneer of modern Nigerian theatre, created works such as Àyànmọ́, in which many actors from that era featured.
Folashade is closely associated with the late Jimoh Aliu, also known as Aworo, whose productions like Fopomoyo contributed to the growth of indigenous storytelling on stage and screen.
Kelani went on to become one of Nigeria’s most respected filmmakers, known for directing culturally rooted films such as Saworoide, Thunderbolt (Magun), Arugba and Maami. His works often draw from Yoruba history, literature and oral traditions.
Heroes of the Yoruba Travelling Theatre is a documentary project by Kelani and Mainframe Productions, aimed at documenting the lives, legacy and work of pioneers from the golden era of Yoruba theatre.
The project focuses on preserving first hand accounts from surviving practitioners, revisiting notable stage productions and tracing how the travelling theatre movement evolved into modern Nigerian film. It also highlights the contributions of key figures who laid the foundation for Nollywood through stage and screen work.
The reunion in Abeokuta formed part of the ongoing production, bringing together veterans whose careers span decades and whose work continues to influence contemporary storytelling in Nigeria.
