Boko Haram drove me into acting – Fatima D. Isa

Weekend Magazine: How did you venture into Kannywood? Fatima D. Isa: I was an established business woman; buying and selling goods from other states and neighbouring countries in Maiduguri, where I was residing then. In the course of my business, I got introduced to some people in the Hausa movie industry and gradually some of […]

Weekend Magazine: How did you venture into Kannywood?
Fatima D. Isa: I was an established business woman; buying and selling goods from other states and neighbouring countries in Maiduguri, where I was residing then. In the course of my business, I got introduced to some people in the Hausa movie industry and gradually some of them became my friends.
When the crisis in Maiduguri became worse, I relocated to Kano State, leaving behind my investments. I had to fend for myself and siblings without much assistance from anyone. When things became unbearable, I decided to give the screen business a shot because of the little popularity I had gained when my pictures were used on a movie poster, and here I am today.  
Fortunately, due to what most directors described as my inherent ability to act, I was given a lead role in my first movie ‘Asirka’ and that marked the beginning of my journey as an actress in the Hausa movie industry.

WM: Hausa seems to be your second language. How were you able to master it?
Isa: I found it very difficult. Though I grew up in the North, I have travelled a lot and being based in Maiduguri, my Hausa wasn’t as fluent as it should be for films. However, things were made easier for me as most of the movie dialogue is written out for us to memorize. I mastered them and in that way was able to do it without much stress. I was so determined to make my presence felt in the industry and so I worked hard.

WM: What movies have you starred in?
Isa: Apart from ‘Asirka’, there’s Kujerar Mata, Gidan Kitso, Hindu, Indon Kauye, Sharemin Hawayena, Makashin Mata, Yan Zamani, among others.

WM: Besides acting, what other profession would you have ventured into?
Isa: I am still a business woman. We are also in a modern world that requires every individual to be an entrepreneur.  I know one day I will leave the industry, so I have tried making business ties with major manufacturers. This is what I have been doing and it has been yielding a lot of dividends to me as an actress. I have been agitating for female colleagues in the industry to emulate this because it guarantees their future.

WM: Have you ever regretted playing a particular role?
Isa: No, I don’t have any regrets. In fact, most fans call me ‘Kannywood’s smiling girl’. It is a positive development that people are more enlightened in understanding that movies are just make-believe and not reality. People now know that actors and actresses should not be judged by the roles they play.

WM: What challenges have you faced so far as an actress?
Isa: It is normal to face challenges in this life, and the true strength of an individual is in his or her ability to manage those challenges. I was welcomed when I came into the industry and I was able to establish a good relationships with most of the people I met. It is important that as humans we must face those challenges and as humans also we must endure those challenges in order to succeed.

WM: It is rumoured that you are in a serious relationship with an actor. Is that true?
Isa: You called it a rumour, and that is what it is to me. That is personal and I don’t wish to discuss it in public. I will get married when it is time for me to get married.