By Damilola Fatunmise
With her newly acquired hourglass shape and gorgeous mode of dressing, Zinab Opeyemi Bakare has become a hot item in the movie industry.
Having had her tutelage under actress Wumi Ajiboye some years back, Bakare has featured in over 50 movies and produced almost a dozen.
The amiable but blunt actress opened up to Sunday Sun on her cosmetic surgery, movies and journey to the job. Please enjoy the interview.
Since you had body enhancement surgery, it seems your fashion sense has changed. What prompted you to do body enhancement in the first place?
I had a little bit of fold at my back, so it prompted me to getting my body done. I was always on waist trainer, so I felt the best way to get rid of it was to do it (surgery), and then to boost my confidence as a woman and make everything I wear fits perfectly.
How do you handle people that troll you on the Internet, especially those that won’t stop advising you on how to dress?
The trolls make you feel like you are not doing enough. They are always right when they advise you but when you respond, then you become a ‘celebrity’ who should not reply to everything. They forget that celebrities are humans too and it’s blood running through their veins. Lately, after my birthday, I replied a few of them and made them have a taste of what they dish out! But in most cases, I just ignore them.
Your new movie, Pasan attracted over 500,000 viewers in less than two hours it was uploaded on YouTube; what’s the magic behind it?
Nothing really. God is the original plug. I put everything before Him. Definitely, I make good movies, and working with intelligent people would obviously yield a good result. I guess that’s the magic.
How did you come about the storyline of Pasan?
Pasan is a true-life story, and I asked the person if I could make a movie out of it, and she gave me the go ahead. I felt the best I could do was to share it with the world, because people are going through a lot and are dying in silence.
You’ve become an item in the movie industry, how easy was it for you?
It wasn’t easy at all! I am still struggling. I am not there yet but I am glad to see how far I have come. Trust me, it took me years of hard work, perseverance and so much passion to get this far.
What do you do aside movie making?
I am a businesswoman. I do a lot of businesses, and I influence for many brands as well.
What’s your greatest regret in life?
For me, my regrets are now lessons learnt. The wrong I did in the past has shaped me to who I am today.
What are you grateful for?
I am grateful for the gift of life. I am enjoying the special grace of God. God has been so good to me; that I can’t deny.
Can you recall your most embarrassing moment as an actor?
I had so many embarrassing moments. I remember days that people would come into my DM and drop silly messages like ‘how much will you collect to see me?’ And before you respond, they would type ‘look, you are an actress, you should expect things like this’. So, in my head, I will be like ‘are actresses not human?’ ‘Are we dogs?’ Sometimes, you get to a gathering and people just want to embarrass you. At the end of the day, you’ll hear them say ‘we did that intentionally, we wanted to test your patience’. But truth be told, my job has brought me so much blessings than embarrassments.
How best can you describe yourself?
I am a sweet person. My heart is full of love. I am a very playful person that sometimes I ask myself ‘is this how I would be after having children?’
Would you advise any woman to enhance her body like you did?
Why not? Oh yes, it’s their choice, once they can afford the money and the mind to do it. It’s not easy as it looks, but it’s such a beautiful thing to do.
What’s your top wish for this year?
I want God’s will to be done in my life. I am a work in progress, so I allow God’s will absolutely. I don’t dictate for God.