I never had a secret wedding with any man...I'm still single-Lilian Bach

Lilian Bach

 
Stunning star actress, model and producer, Lilian Bach is in the news again.

Aside being romantically linked with former governor of Lagos State, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, it was recently rumoured that she secretly tied the knot with her multimillionaire businessman lover, simply identified as Alaka.
The tale went viral and was almost believed by all and sundry, especially when her absence in the movie scene had become conspicuous.

In this lovely encounter, the former face of Delta Soap, who began her acting career in 1997, debunked the secret wedding rumour and described it as false and ridiculous. Enjoy the lovely encounter.

Tell us how you feel about Nollywood at 20’s celebration

I feel very excited. I’m proud of Nollywood at 20.  

How long have you been in the industry and how have you fare?

I’ve been in the Nigerian movie industry since the year 1997. I’ve had my challenges and I’m still having my challenges. The road has not been smooth. But the passion I have for the job has kept me going. I thank God that the journey that started when I accompanied a friend to an audition has brought me this far. I got to the audition venue with my friend and a particular cast was missing. That was how I was asked to pick the script and read. After reading, I was offered a role, and here I am today.

Considering the height you’ve attained over the years, are there people you still look up to?

Honestly, I have people that I admire; people like Joke Silva and RMD. Honestly, I never thought I could act because I always saw myself as a shy person- even till now, I’m still a very shy person (laughs) but when the camera faces you, you just have to throw away all the shyness.

Do you think the industry has gotten it right?

Not yet. There are still so many challenges. But the truth is that we can’t do it alone. We need the government assistance, especially in the area of piracy. Piracy, alongside other threats are really killing the industry. People are no longer willing to invest good money into the industry because they feel they will not get their money back. And when you don’t invest good money how do you expect the industry to move forward. One keeps on seeing so many substandard movies on the shelves. The solution is for the government to take a critical look into the industry, to come out with a functional law, especially on the area of piracy. Nollywood cannot progress in this kind of atmosphere. Till today, I’m not aware of any law being implemented to fight piracy in the movie industry.

Share with us what you are currently working on

I’ve been busy with so many things. I just released my last movie, Eletan into DVD. And fortunately, lots of people have been commending the effort. It’s at the moment doing well in the market.

Secret wedding rumours keep trailing your paths; have you really gotten married?

I’ve not gotten married. If I’m getting married it will be a private wedding and not a secret wedding. Private wedding is different from a secret wedding. It will be private because I’m not a noisy person. I wouldn’t want the whole world to attend my wedding. I would just want a selected few to attend it. And that is not a secret wedding. A secret wedding is when you hide to do something without wanting anybody to know about it. In my own case, I did not get married.

What instigated the rumour

I don’t know. As a matter of fact I wasn’t even in the country when the rumour went viral. I just came and surprisingly I started receiving calls and congratulatory messages. I was like ‘this is not funny’.

Does that mean you are still single?

It’s not a crime to be single and it’s not a crime to be married. If I choose to tie the knot, it won’t be secret.

Considering your celebrity status, would your wedding hold here in Nigeria?

I don’t know. Whatever my heart tells me, whatever I feel like doing is what I will do.  

What attracts you to a man?

A good heart and godliness!

What about the physical appearance?

As long as the man doesn’t have a big tummy!

As a gorgeous celebrity, how do you cope with the numerous male admirers?

For me the secret of coping with men is just to remain courteous. You do that by saying just a polite ‘no’ to their advances and offers. Funnily, some of these men come as fans and will not allow you to rest. How they get one’s phone number is amazing. Some are just fans, they want to appreciate your works and some live in fantasyland. Saying “oh my God, I want to date that superstar,” in that case, you put them where they belong. But like I said earlier, a gentle polite ‘no’ will do. The stubborn ones I handle with some level of harshness.

 By JAMES EMMANUEL