Ori is a 2004 Nollywood Yoruba film produced, written, and co-directed by Muyiwa Ademola, who also stars in the lead role alongside Fathia Balogun, Saidi Balogun, Oga Bello, Sola Kosoko, Keji Yussuf, and Laja Ogunde.
The film follows a double-layered narrative centered on two friends, Bisade (Ademola) and Bosun (Balogun), both university undergraduates. When Bosun’s girlfriend, Temilade (Fathia Balogun), becomes pregnant, he refuses to take responsibility, and Temilade is unwilling to have an abortion. With Bosun avoiding confrontation with her parents, Bisade steps in, pretending to be the father of the child.
Unexpectedly, this deception works in Bisade’s favor. Temilade’s father, Adekogbe (Oga Bello), accepts him as his future son-in-law and generously rewards him with financial support, a new house, and a managerial position in his company. Though initially uncomfortable with the arrangement, Bisade plays along until he genuinely falls in love with Temilade, leading to another pregnancy. Meanwhile, Bosun, consumed by resentment, plots a devastating revenge that sends Bisade on a dark, life-altering journey with an eventual light at the end of the tunnel.
The acclaimed movie, which also stars Prince Jide Kosoko, Lere Paimo, Ojopagogo, Lanre Hassan and Bisi Ibidapo Obe, is being reimagined for a new generation. Titled Ori: The Rebirth and starring a notable cast, the film is set to premiere in Nigerian cinemas in May 2025, promising to rekindle the emotional depth and moral lessons that made the original a classic.