Tunde Kelani

Tunde Kelani (born 26 February 1948), popularly known as TK, is a Nigerian filmmaker, storyteller, director, photographer, cinematographer and producer. In a career spanning more than four decades, TK specialises in producing movies that promote Nigeria's rich cultural heritage and have a root in documentation, archiving, education, entertainment and promotion of the culture.

He is also known for his love of adaptation of literary material into movies as most of his works have followed that style of filmmaking including Ko se Gbe, Oleku, Thunder Bolt, The Narrow Path, White Handkerchief, Maami and Dazzling Mirage.

At an early age, he was sent to Abeokuta to live with his grandparents. The rich Yoruba culture and tradition he experienced in his early years, coupled with the experience he garnered at the London Film School where he studied the art of filmmaking, prepared him for what he is doing today.

Early life

Tunde Kelani, TK was born in Lagos but at age of five, he was sent to live with his grandparents at Abeokuta. He attended the Oke-Ona Primary School in Ikija, Abeokuta and had his secondary school education at Abeokuta grammar school. During this time, his grandfather was a Chief (the Balogun of Ijaiye Kukudi) and he was privileged to have witnessed most aspects of Yoruba ways of life, the Yoruba religion, Yoruba literature, Yoruba philosophy, Yoruba environments and Yoruba world view in arts at close quarters.