Seasoned Kumawood director and producer Jackson K. Bentum has lashed out at actor and TV presenter Big Akwes for questioning the casting choices made for the much-anticipated film Ibrahim Traoré: The Last African Hero, spearheaded by actor and filmmaker Kwadwo Nkansah, popularly known as Lilwin.
In a video that was sighted earlier online, Big Akwes slammed the decision to cast Lilwin as the lead character in the upcoming movie.
According to him, there were far more suitable actors who could have handled the role better than Lilwin and went further to suggest that the choice was influenced by the fact that Lilwin was also producing the movie.
Big Akwes didn’t hold back as he went on to label the trend of Lilwin playing the lead in all his own productions as “boring” and “predictable”.
In a reaction to this, award-winning filmmaker Jackson K. Bentum did not take kindly to Big Akwes’s comments.
In a fiery response while speaking to Papa Jay of Poleeno Multimedia, director Jackson described anyone, including Big Akwes, who questions his casting decisions as “senseless.”
He further stated that “When I started casting people for roles, a lot of the stars today had not even stepped into the movie industry.”
“I was the first person to cast talents like Kyeiwaa, Emelia Brobbey, and Vivian Jill Lawrence for their very first roles. If I believed Big Akwes was fit for the lead in Ibrahim Traoré, I wouldn’t have hesitated to cast him. But I didn’t. That’s why he’s not in the movie,” director Jackson added.
Jackson K. Bentum went on to emphasize that casting is not about favoritism or familiarity, but about suitability, and the ability to bring a character to life. He defended Lilwin’s casting, insisting that the actor was the best fit for the role, both in stature and performance.
Watch the video below…
