‘How Kannywood became part and parcel of me’

Tell us your brief history…Yakubu Mohmmed: I was born in Bauchi State. During my childhood I lost my father, then I went to Jos to stay with my uncle, where I got admission into the University of Jos to study Mass Communication. Before then, I started remedial classes with the intention to study Geology and […]

Tell us your brief history…
Yakubu Mohmmed: I was born in Bauchi State. During my childhood I lost my father, then I went to Jos to stay with my uncle, where I got admission into the University of Jos to study Mass Communication.
Before then, I started remedial classes with the intention to study Geology and Mining, but my mother advised me to study Mass Communication since I had a knack for it and I was creative, as well. She insisted that, that would be the best for me and would bring out the best in me.
Then there was no JAMB and I didn’t want to waste the year at home so I bought a Diploma form in the same University. I later ventured into the Hausa film industry.
Most people would have opted for a white collar job. Why did you go for the Hausa movie industry instead?
Government jobs are not cure-alls.  And if you say I want to go and look for white collar jobs, assuming you get the job and government pays you monthly, a time would come when you will reach retirement age.
After getting your retirement money you will start thinking on how to invest, that is to start afresh. So, I have the belief to be self reliant. That’s why I decided to join Hausa film industry. It is just the way I see life, somebody has to be self-reliant. 
What was the attraction for you to head for Kannywood?
I am a creative writer, I have been writing poems, short stories even though I have not published them. At a point, I felt that I could transform most of my short stories into screenplays. The rest is history.
Most of the people when they want to join Hausa film industry they prefer to be actors.  But you have taken to be behind the cameras and also doing something in music. Would you say this is destiny?
Different structures have different blocks, like what you have just said a lot of people want to be actors, but I chose to be behind the camera, directing and producing. Even the music, I would say it came accidentally, because I didn’t have intention to be a singer.
I am not a singer and I don’t know how to sing. It is something that happened then I found myself as a singer and now I ventured into acting. I will agree with you that it is destiny that made Kannywood become part and parcel of me.
How do you combine acting, singing, directing, producing and screenplay?
You know when you plan well you can achieve a lot. Some of my colleagues call me ‘master of all’. I plan meticulously and I am not doing all these things at once. I do them at my own pace and convenience.
For many years you were behind the camera, then suddenly into acting. What attracted you to acting?
I don’t know exactly what happened because for the past twelve years my colleagues have been calling on me to act. They told me I will be a good actor. They said I had all the qualities but I told them I just want to be behind the camera.
 Then all of a sudden, I started falling in love with acting.
What challenges have you faced since you joined Kannywood?
There are so many, chiefly because I am dealing with a lot of people of various tribes, gender, age, etc. The challenges are enormous, but the big one is lack of societal support because till now we’re trying hard to convince our audience that we are responsible people trying to make positive impact on the society.