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Despite the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Nollywood has steadily churned out remarkable films in 2021, with Christmas In Miami set to top them all, according to Bollywood actor Manoj Chandra.
Starring some of Nollywood's most popular icons like AY Makun (in the lead role), Richard Mofe-Damijo, and Osita Iheme, Christmas in Miami is a continuation of the comic (mis)adventures of Akpos, following the events of the previous films; 30 Days in Atlanta, A Trip to Jamaica, and 10 Days in Sun City.
The fourth film in the franchise is a star-studded affair, bringing together actors from different nations and ethnicities around the globe.
CHRISTMAS IN MIAMI lead star AY Makun | Source: Instagram
Christmas in Miami casts actors from Nigeria, India, America, Britain, China, and Brazil in an effort to promote unity in diversity.
Among one of the stars of the upcoming film is Manoj Chandra, a Bollywood actor who has teased what movie fans can expect from the production, calling it the biggest Nollywood film of the year.
In an exclusive interview with AllNews.ng's Sydney Elike, Chandra (who plays a character named Roy Patel) called the film amazing and said that not only is it the biggest of AY's career, but it is also the biggest Nollywood film of 2021.
Members of the cast of CHRISTMAS IN MIAMI
"The film, this amazing project in Miami, and AY has gotten like this huge team, completely diverse, people from different nations, different backgrounds, different cultures have come together and worked on this project", he said.
"And the project is going to be a very successful one", he added.
Manoj Chandra
Born 28 years ago in India, Manoj Chandra is a Bollywood actor whose mother works for the police and whose father is employed in a steel plant.
His career started when he was 17 years old; he got his first audition from a local newspaper, got the part, and played a supporting character.
Manoj Chandra | Source: Instagram
Following his first film role, Chandra went on to college and while studying worked as a television show host. He interviewed different celebrities in the Indian movie industry.
His popularity increased, paving the way for subsequent film roles (he got back-to-back roles between 2014 and 2018). Among some of his prominent works is a web series titled Paper Boy, where he played the character of Yuva.
After moving to the United States in 2020, Chandra realized that he should have been looking at the market there. A major turning point came when he had what he calls "the biggest opportunity ever to date"; a chance to feature alongside a diverse cast in Christmas in Miami after meeting with renowned comedian and actor AY Makun.
Chandra with AY Makun and RMD
Recalling the pivotal moment, the actor said: "I met him through a mutual connection when they were casting for this film. AY got a chance to look at my demo reel.
"He said he didn't want to do an audition because that would be a disrespect ... which kind of like is the biggest compliment I've ever got. And I'm grateful for that. Coming from a man like AY, I was really, really happy and I was looking forward, uh for this film to come and luckily everything fell through."
AY, Osita Iheme, and RMD on the set of the film
Speaking further, Chandra gushed about the film, saying: "The film, this amazing project in Miami, uh AY has gotten like this huge team, completely diverse.
"People from different nations, different backgrounds, different cultures have come together, worked on this project and the project is going to be a very, very successful one.
"It is going to be so far, AY's biggest project ever. And coming forward, AY's projects are going to be very, very different, starting from Christmas in Miami.
Chandra could barely contain the excitement in his voice when giving a hint on what movie lovers will see when the film arrives.
On the plot, he said: "So Christmas in Miami is the next installment of Akpos film series created by AY, following on from his rib-cracking adventures in 30 Days in Atlanta, A Trip to Jamaica, and 10 Days in Sun City.
"This time, Akpos jets off with his family to the exotic city of Miami to represent Nigeria at the Intercontinental Christmas Fiesta (which is a unifying fiesta that will bring together six families from six very diverse nations across five continents) to spend a week leading up to Christmas together on an exotic Island in Miami.
"What happens is what you will see on screen this Christmas."
Speaking on Roy Patel, the character he plays, Chandra revealed that he is the typical Indian guy who has come to Miami, just like Akpos, as a participant in the huge event.
"Now what happens when a crazy guy like AY meets this typical Indian guy, Roy Patel, is what you have to watch in the film. But what I can probably say is, you're going to see a mix of Bollywood and Nollywood in this film."
Manoj Chandra and RMD
Manoj Chandra has worked with several movie stars in his career but perhaps none of them have made quite the impression that his Nigerian counterparts have made on him.
The thespian was very vocal about the overwhelmingly positive reception given to him by the Nigerian cast and crew, saying that this came as a genuine surprise to him.
Manoj Chandra and Osita Iheme
"I think it's the experience of a lifetime", he stated. "Why I'm saying this is because I don't think all actors get to do this. You know, usually as an actor, you get to work with actors from your own industry but you do not get a chance to work with other actors from other industries.
"Usually, this is a very big opportunity and I'm very glad I was able to work with the legendary actor RMD and the most funny man to grace the internet every day, Osita.
"Most of them have been as amazing as AY; they've been so humble, so down-to-earth. At a point, I wasn't even sure if these great men are the same men I see on the internet or in the movies because they were so, so sweet and gentle to work with.
"The most fun part for me as an Indian was how much I received, the love I've received from Nigeria ever since this film started, starting from each one of the actors; cast, crew, and even like the Nigerian audience themselves.
"Their love for India has been really, really tremendous and it moves me because I've never expected that. I didn't know that Nigerians have this amazing love for us Indians.
"And that kind of like makes me emotional because as humans we might look different, we might speak different languages but that is one thing, humanity is one thing which unites us all.
"I really feel close to Nigeria after this film because after I've met all the Nigerian cast and crew especially, I feel they are nothing different than us.
"I feel they are just us, just the same... We feel the same for each other and we love each other's cultures a lot. They basically have been the best for me as co-actors, the best."
"About my other cast members in the film, I need to tell you that there's not just Indians and Nigerians. There are Brazilians, Chinese, Americans...
"You have absolute diversity in the film and you have people coming and watching from different parts of the world... So my experience was pretty much diverse... it was basically bringing the world together, basically breaking every country down...
Commenting on the acting, Chandra said: "You're going to see very, very good acting. You're going to have a fun Christmas this time.
"Nigerians are gonna be laughing their asses off the entire December."
Responding to a question on how the recent Twitter ban has affected the promotion of Christmas in Miami, Chandra said he didn't think it has had any adverse effect on the production, saying that it would reach every nook and cranny of the country.
"I feel bad for what happened because it's definitely a source of uh... a medium where all of us communicate and let everybody know what's going on", he stated.
"But I don't think the ban on Twitter has affected anything about this film because our film is much, much bigger than Twitter. It speaks volumes. It's gonna go from mouth to mouth.
"People are gonna speak to each other about this film... No matter what, even in the most remote parts of Nigeria, even if the internet is not there the film will go there.
"This film will be spoken about everywhere and in parts of Africa. It's gonna be the biggest film this year."
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