The character Katangari was born out of Emil Garuba’s passion for the whodunnit genre and affinitty for flawed characters. “The vision for Katangari was born from my love for the mystery genre. I wanted a character who was both flawed and brilliant—a man of contradictions steeped in his environment but universally appealing,” he explains.
Katangari is the protagonist from First Features latest project, ‘Katangari Goes to Town’ directed by Reuben Reng. The fictional character is played by Segun Arinze.
The whodunnit genre is one mostly associated with Hollywood. Some of the classics include ‘Murder on the Orient Express’, ‘Death on the Nile’ and most recently the ‘Glass Onion’ franchise. A fan of these movies, Garuba sort to create one within the Nigerian context, infusing our unique culture, humour, and storytelling into it.
While Katangari pays homage to revered characters of the genre like Columbo, Hercule Poirot, Monk, Kojak, and Benoit Blanc, Garuba was particular about his Nigerianess. “I had a desire to merge the genre with Nigerian culture in a way that feels fresh and authentic,” he remarks. Katangari is also inspired by the comedy ‘Semaja’ that aired in the 1980s, a show dear to his father’s heart.
Semanja is a soldier often embroiled in comic shenanigans and Garuba wondered what a character like that would look like in a modern-day setting. That curiosity laid the foundation for Katangari. “He was initially conceived as a retired soldier but evolved into a retired police officer to better suit the crime-solving narrative,” he clarifies.
Beyond the inspiration the character is hinged on, Katangari also embodies traits that make him feel Nigerian. He is a retired police inspector with an unquenchable thirst for home-made palm wine and alcohol. His most prized possession, a Peugeot 504, is called “Shagari,” a hausa name. Each time he speaks, a faint, northern-sounding accent falls off his tongue. And he lives in a community in Plateau State.
The north holds a special place in Garuba’s heart; it is no wonder that Katangari is a northern man. The screenwriter spent a significant part of his childhood there. “It has a distinct charm that sets it apart from other parts of Nigeria,” he says, quite mesmerised.
“I wanted to create an iconic character with ties to the north because I feel it is an underexplored setting in Nollywood.” True to his words, the north sometimes seems like Nollywood’s uncharted territory. In 2024, only two movies made it to mainstream Nollywood: Nadine Ibrahim’s ‘Beyond the Veil’ and ‘With Difficulty Comes Ease’ directed by Korede Azeez.
Prior to this, Tope Oshin’s ‘Up North’ released in 2018 held the fort. It took audiences to the north, dispelling stereotypes that have tainted the region. Similarly, Katangari contrasts the illiteracy narrative paraded about the north; he is an intelligent officer with spot-on instincts.
Garuba wants audiences to note that while Katangari is influenced by Northern Culture, he is more middlebelt in his identity. The story itself spans both his rural hometown in Plateau State and the bustling urban environment of Abuja, highlighting the distinction between these two worlds.
Though an under-represented genre in Nollywood, Garuba was confident ‘Katangari Goes to Town’ would pique the interest of filmmakers. Thus, when the First Features project was announced, he saw it as the perfect opportunity to pitch his idea. “The team was very supportive and saw potential in the idea, which led to the development of a full screenplay,” he recalls.
Emil Garuba hopes that Kantangari joins Mr. Ibu, Jenifa, Osuofia, Aki, and Paw Paw in Nollywood’s hall of fame simply because they are recognised Nigerian characters who have become synonymous with Nigerian storytelling.
For the screenwriter, ‘Katangari Goes To Town’ is just the beginning of Katangari’s journey. He wants to push Katangari into even more challenging and dangerous situations, exploring how he navigates these circumstances with his wit, humour, and resourcefulness.
Garuba is also thinking of world dominance in terms of the character “I’m eager to expand his world. Imagine him solving cases in Accra, Cape Town, or even London! The possibilities are endless, and just thinking about the future of this character fills me with excitement.”
On this note, it is safe to say the future of Katangari is bright and bold because he is woven by an ambitious writer whose love for him runs deep.