I want to market Hausa films worldwide – Sani Abubakar

Weekend Magazine: Recently Kano State Censors Board summoned you to appear before its mobile court over the controversial release of the movie ‘Ana Wata Ga Wata,’ how did it go in court? Alhaji Sani Abubakar (Rainbow): The board summoned me to appear before its mobile court, but they did that wrongly without following the constitution. […]

Weekend Magazine: Recently Kano State Censors Board summoned you to appear before its mobile court over the controversial release of the movie ‘Ana Wata Ga Wata,’ how did it go in court?
Alhaji Sani Abubakar (Rainbow): The board summoned me to appear before its mobile court, but they did that wrongly without following the constitution. I have the license to distribute films, including Nollywood films nationwide, my company doesn’t produce films; we either buy them from producers or partner with them in marketing their films. The reason I said the board did what it did wrongly is after we bought the film from its producer we gave it to the National Censors Board and Zamfara State Censors Board where my office is situated, they censored the film and gave us certificate to market it. Therefore, I see no reason where the board summoned us to appear before its mobile court.

WM: The board said it has arrested hawkers marketing the film in Kano…
Rainbow: Remember we are not operating in Kano, the board hasn’t arrested any of my staff selling this film in Kano, we released our film in Zamfara and Kaduna states, and we want the public to know that my company doesn’t have any power to stop this film from being taken to Kano, what the board is supposed to have done is to arrest and prosecute anybody it sees selling this film in Kano. Our lawyers attended the sitting of the court and told the judge the board has no right to summon us to his court, pitifully the judge told them he has that right, therefore we appealed it at the Kano State High Court.

WM: There was a rumour that the court has ordered security to arrest you and bring you to the court, what can you say about that?
Rainbow: Our lawyers told the judge he has no right to summon me and that prompted him to order the security to arrest me and bring me to the court since I am taking his court for granted.

WM: What about the unconfirmed story that security personnel searched your house?
Rainbow: I saw people and they told they were security; they searched my house without a search warrant. I am going to take action on that.

WM: The board also said that you committed a similar offence in 2013 when you released the movie ‘Dakin Amarya’ without the board censoring the film, what is you take on that?
Rainbow: What I want to say here is if the D-G of the board is not aware of what happened I will advise him to go back and ask about what actually happened. When he was speaking with one radio station in Kano he said I released a controversial movie, ‘Matan Gida,’ in 2010. Also, when he spoke with Daily Trust he said it was ‘Dakin Amarya’ in 2013, he contradicted himself.

WM: What actually happened then?
Rainbow: The saga happened in 2010 when Dr. Abubakar Rabo was the D-G of the board, during that period he had some unresolved issues with actor Adam A. Zango, producer Falalu Xorayi and Sani Danja, he chose not to censor their films, don’t forget I am a nationwide film marketer, and if they have issues with Rabo, they don’t have issues with me. I buy any film which doesn’t contradict our cultural and religious norms, I bought Adam Zango, Falalu Xorayi and Sani Danja’s films, so what I did was I took their films to Zamfara State Censors Board and the National Censorship Board, when they censored the films they gave me license to distribute my films. Rabo noticed that Kano market was short of films hence the board’s source of income was getting low, he then paid a courtesy visit to Zamfara’s board asking them why I wasn’t taking my films to his board to censor them. At that period we told him he doesn’t censor some of the producers’ films and the films they have produced have made waves in the market, therefore we can’t just buy their films due to their issue with Rabo. We then decided to release our film outside Kano State. Rabo is an intelligent man and has qualities of leadership he therefore said if my company brings any film he will censor it, Zamfara State Censors Board and his board wrote an agreement letter, I then took my films like ‘Sai Wata Rana,’ ‘Ga Duhu Ga Haske’ and ‘Balaraba’ to his board and he gave us certificate to market those films. Since that period my company took his film to Kano’s board for censoring. This was what happened in 2010. I didn’t commit any offence, it was an agreement letter.

WM: You have played a vital role in taking Kannywood to a greater height, most especially as producers have peace of mind that any amount they spend on a film they will get their money back without hitches. Will the issue between you and board make you slowdown in marketing of Hausa films?
Rainbow: I am happy with the role I have played in revamping Kannywood, most especially the marketing sector. I thank God for that, and I want you to know this issue will not slow me down.

WM: Kano State is the biggest market of Hausa films, don’t you think the tussle between you and the board will affect your marketing in the state negatively?
Rainbow: If you haven’t forgotten, I told you I have been doing my marketing without Kano State when Rabo was the D-G of state censors board, I distributed my films nationwide, excluding Kano. It was in 2010 after an agreement between Zamfara board and Kano board that my company started distributing films in Kano, even before then we were doing well, the issue now will not affect my marketing negatively because viewers will go to other states and buy our films.

WM: How do you think this issue will be resolved?
Rainbow: I want readers to know I didn’t commit any offence, this film ‘Ana Wata Ga Wata’ that the board said I released without their permission I am not its producer, I bought it from the producer, it was the duty of the board to censor the film, but without doing that it then said it has banned the selling of the film. That’s not fair. After the trailer of the film viewers started moaning that the film contradicts the cultural norms of the society, we took the film to the board and we asked them to censor the film, but without any substantial reason it said it has banned the selling of the film, don’t forget we took the film to national censors board and the Zamfara board and we have paid the producer his money, then do you think we should fold our arms and do nothing since the Kano state board has said it has banned the film? What I want people to know is that despite this issue my company will still be taking his film to their board, it’s left for them to censor them.

WM: What are your plans for Kannywood?
Rainbow: I have many plans; one of them is how I will market Hausa films internationally. I will not discuss the plan in details.

WM: How do you think Kannywood will be taking to greater heights?
Rainbow: Two things are involved. One, we should go back to school and learn how to properly make films. Second, we have to be innovative, creative and buy equipment like modern cameras, and movement dollies among others.