Van Vicker, Abdul Salam end 8 years fight

Popular Ghanaian actor Van Vicker is back on Abdul Salam, CEO of Venus Films movie’s set, several years after they went their separate ways.

Van and Abdul Salam last worked in 2008 on the hit movie Princess Tyra. Since then Van has worked in Nigeria and Ghana but without movie credits from Venus Films.

However after eight years, Venus Films is currently on set shooting its new movie titled Stalemate, directed by Pascal Amanfo, and Van is lead male actor. It also stars Christabel Ekeh, Jessica Baah and a host of others.

The reason for Van Vicker and Abdul Salam’s long parting has not been established.

However, talks in the industry revealed they had a disagreement after the Princess Tyra movie and that they had sworn not to work with each other again.

Earlier in 2011, they both tried to react to the issue and settle their differences but it rather opened new ‘wounds.’

Salam, at the time, had stated that no artiste was big enough to sell his movies for him and that that was part of his decision not to work with Van.

Hear Salam in 2011: “Nobody can sell my movies. Not only Van, my name alone sells my movies [sic]. I don’t depend on artistes when it comes to me because I know a good story sells itself. So I don’t depend on artistes and say this artiste will sell my movie. No! If without Van I can’t sell my movie, then I don’t exist.

“If you look at my movies they are up to standard and any new face I bring into the industry, it still works out for that person. I still need Van though; I didn’t say I don’t need him.

“I am always ready to work with Van when he is ready. Van can never swear that he will not work with me. If he did, even God will judge him.

“Anytime he is available for me, I will use him because anytime I call Van, he is travelling. I have several meetings with him, he tells me, ‘no, give me prior notice.’

“And you know sometimes how this system works: I get a story like one week and the following week I’m going on location. But when I call Van, he is not available. I have to look at other artistes who are available. The only confusion between us now is that Van is a big man now and he is not available for me.”

Van, on the other hand, had created the impression that Salam was not professional in dealing with artistes.

He had reacted: “I will totally disagree with what Salam said that I am big man. I mean, we’ve grown and we’ve matured in the industry and I mean like he said with or without me, he will sell his movies. That is absolutely true. In the same light, I will say Salam too is a big man but the point I want to make is, if I have matured the same way he has and, I think, for me it is a matter of time to say, ‘Van, I want you in a movie, and Van said he is not available; and also it is about ok I really want to work with this guy, so I will really restructure my plans to work with him [sic].

“On the other hand, if you can’t wait, you can go ahead and shoot. That makes sense from the business point of view. I am not against that. But I just believe that we all build a relationship as we grow and move in the industry. That is why we have a lot of people, producers, directors, artistes and others who try to work as a group. If they believe the group makes a movie and it is a hit, so based on that kind of relationship we have to maintain [sic]…”

“But what brought about what you want to call a division, so to speak, which is not,” Van stated, “is because I have been travelling a few times. But then I also want to say that there are times that I do have meetings with Salam and we agree to shoot a movie and then Salam disappears.”

When asked if both of them were going to settle their differences, Van said: “I can’t stop travelling. I believe I am doing so many things, other things, not movies alone. But I want to believe if Salam and I can reach an agreement…I have a lot of problems but if we want to work, then we should come to a compromise.”

But they have found a common ground now. They have been shooting at East Legon in Accra. Salam visits the set from time to time to check on Van and the crew.