Personal tragedy fuels his performance despite the long years of silence.

Veteran Nigerian actor Emeka Ike has opened up about playing his latest big-screen character in Malaika.

After a long period of hiatus, the Nollywood star is back and this time he headed straight to the big screen with Toyin Abraham‘s latest project Malaika.

In an interview on TVC‘s Your View segment, the actor shared how he was able to adjust after a long break from acting. In his words, “He no dey leave o, e dey body. But I had to just take my time to have a new understanding based on, the cinema I’m going to cinema and not normal home video. So what and what do I need to be in the right or act cinema scenario”.

He also described being on the film as a personal therapy. He said, “Malaika for me is therapy, it is therapy to every broken home… Somebody called me, please talk to my wife, I just saw the Malaika stuff…”

The feature-length movie sheds light on a married couple played by Ike and Abraham, faced with issues that turn them against each other. After several years of trying, the wife voices out the frustration of being childless and desires answers to the situation at hand.

Following the earlier released trailer, the story is expected to take the audience on an emotional journey to the heights and lengths a woman is willing to go to find the desired answers. The project also explores the toll these challenges have on the husband, who struggles with the feeling of helplessness.

Directed by Steve Sodiya, other cast members on the production include Ibrahim Chatta, Uzor Arukwe, Odunlade Adekola, Pelumi Olawuni, Taiwo Lyncett, Adesege Adeniji and Ugandan entertainer Anne Kansiime.

Malaika commences its nationwide cinematic run, today, December 22, 2023.