Former Nigerian senator ,Dino Melaye, has taken a liking to the Nollywood seen and has landed his first lead role in a new movie titled, ‘The Bean Shaped Hero’. Melaye is to play a patient with a kidney conditions alongside an ex Big Brother Naija Housemate, Diane Russet. The producer of the Nollywood film confirmed that every single actor who featured in the project was a real doctor, consultant, nurse and front line health workers aside from Melaye and Diane.
This is not Mr Melaye’s first foray into Nollywood. In October, it was revealed that he would be featured as one of the key actors in a television series titled ‘Equity unbound’. In November, he starred in another movie titled ‘Lemonade’ alongside Nollywood stars like Kunle Remi, Linda Osifo, Mofe Duncan, Real Warri Pikin, among others.
In March 2020, he featured in another movie, ‘Silent Prejudice’. A former minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, made his acting debut in that movie. The trailer to the movie features Melaye being seen leaving for his place of work while kissing his wife and daughter goodbye, but things go south when the politician collapses before he is seen being rushed to hospital. Mr Melaye, who represented Kogi West in the senate, shared the movie’s trailer on his official Instagram page on Tuesday.
As his secretary divulges details to him on the operations of one of his office’s departments, Mr Melaye feels inconvenienced, so he unfastens his tie and tries to pick up his suit only to go down on the floor. With this ushering in doctors who break the news of Mr Melaye’s health condition ahead of surgery, while Diane parties in a club amid a bevy of smoking ladies. The controversial senator who made history as the first serving Nigerian lawmaker to venture into acting first appeared in a music video by Afro trap star, Kach, titled Dino, in 2017. Mr Melaye was sacked as senator by the appeal court and lost the rerun election ordered by the court.
This movie was completed before the COVID-19Â lockdown. It was produced by Terver Malu and written by Ade Faponle for Zenith Health Care Access Initiative.