In recent years, Nollywood has become noticeably bolder with how it portrays love. The days of lovers staring shyly across living rooms have given way to slow-motion kisses, dimly lit bed scenes, and emotional make-out sessions.
For a once conservative industry, this evolution is proof of artistic progress or at least, that’s one way to look at it.
But as audiences get more vocal and actors more candid about their on-set experiences, another conversation has been bubbling quietly: Must Nollywood always show love through kissing and sex?
It’s not exactly a new question. Back in August, conversations around intimacy in Nollywood resurfaced after an interview clip of actress Osas Ighodaro made rounds online. She recalled her first on-screen kiss, one that went wrong because her co-star crossed an agreed boundary.
The story, though months old, reignited a necessary debate about professionalism, consent, and Nollywood’s over-reliance on physical intimacy as shorthand for romance.
And that’s where this article begins.
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What happens when a filmmaker decides to not rely on kisses or explicit touches to show desire? What if we started treating romance as something deeper than physical exchange, something that lives in silence, glances, tension, and vulnerability?
Now, let’s explore how Nollywood can reimagine romance, moving beyond the physical without losing passion, authenticity, or connection.
1. The Eyes
The eyes are the most honest part of any performance. They speak volumes even when the mouth says nothing. A lingering gaze, a stolen glance, or that one-second-too-long look can hold more intimacy than an entire kiss sequence.
In older Nollywood classics like Keeping The Faith (RMD and Genevieve Nnaji) so much of the romance lived in the silence between looks. Even now, a well-held gaze can make viewers blush harder than a lip-lock.
It’s the same magic that powered films like Pride and Prejudice and In the Mood for Love, where love wasn’t declared, it was seen. The challenge (and beauty) for Nollywood directors is to let those quiet moments breathe.
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2. Small Gestures, Big Emotions
Sometimes, love hides in the simplest gestures: helping someone carry their shopping bag, offering the last piece of meat, waiting up to make sure they got home safely.
A romance scene doesn’t need to be physical to feel intimate. It can be a character straightening their partner’s tie, cooking their favourite meal, or remembering a tiny detail from a past conversation. These gestures translate love into action, not performance.
Filmmakers can lean into these subtleties using everyday acts of care to reveal emotion and chemistry.
3. Words That Burn
Forget kisses, write dialogue that feels like one.
Good writing can make audiences feel the chemistry without anyone touching. The banter, the teasing, the hesitation before a confession, these are storytelling goldmines that don’t require a single physical gesture.
Think of dialogue that simmers with subtext: “You irritate me.” “You like it.” “Maybe.” OR “Oh Jimmy, what would I do without you.” “You’ll never find out.”
Now, that’s romance. Nollywood writers can explore how attraction sounds before worrying about how it looks.
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4. Music and Sound
Sometimes, a well-placed soundtrack can create more emotion than a full-blown love scene. Music can do the heavy lifting of feeling, a soulful hum, a nostalgic Afrobeats tune, or just the hum of background noise between two people sitting close.
The absence of sound can also heighten intimacy, a pause, a held breath, a faint heartbeat.
Filmmakers can experiment with sound as storytelling, allowing the atmosphere to communicate tenderness, anticipation, or unspoken yearning.
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5. Body Language
You can tell a story about attraction through how people move. The space they maintain, how often they lean in, the way they unconsciously mirror each other’s gestures — that’s chemistry.
Actors don’t need to be told to kiss to show connection. A glance downward, a nervous laugh, a pause before reaching for something. These small, physical cues say, “I’m drawn to you.”
Nollywood can elevate romantic storytelling by letting bodies talk without making them collide.
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6. The Power of Restraint
Build tension, don’t rush it. Every romance doesn’t need the payoff of a kiss. Sometimes, the magic lies in what doesn’t happen.
Slow burns are deeply rewarding, the kind of stories where the audience stays on edge, waiting for a confession, a touch, something. Elijah and Anna ÿearning scenes” at the water front in the AMVCA winning Breath of Life captured this.
When directors hold back, it gives viewers time to emotionally invest in the connection.
Restraint isn’t repression. It’s control. And it often leads to deeper emotional satisfaction when the tension finally breaks, if it ever does.
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7. Symbolism. Show Without Showing
Cinema is about suggestions. A close-up of two cups of tea, one half-drunk. A necklace left behind. A phone call that ends too soon.
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