I was born to be an actor – Iyan-Tama

What is the source of your inspiration? As a human being and somebody with vision, goals and objectives, I think it is compulsory for every human to leave something on ground before going back to his God. What inspires me is the need to help create awareness of important issues through filmmaking.  I also think […]

What is the source of your inspiration?

As a human being and somebody with vision, goals and objectives, I think it is compulsory for every human to leave something on ground before going back to his God. What inspires me is the need to help create awareness of important issues through filmmaking.  I also think it’s important for Hausa people who have attended schools to come into the business and invest so they can give others the opportunity to learn and be productive.  There are a lot of things going on around the world which we don’t even realize. It is only when one is into the business that you can realize how important filmmaking is to the society.

What was your experience when you featured in a movie for the very first time?

I was born an actor. During my primary school days at the Dantata Memorial Primary School, Kano, whenever they organize maulud, I always featured in it. I used to also sing and dance in stage drama performances and people will gather every year to watch what message we had for the people. So I was born with that and I act naturally. When I first had the invitation to feature in a movie in 1995, being in that movie gave me an experience, because I learnt many things. I got to see the areas where I could improve on my acting skills.

After that, I set aside some money I already had while I was doing business for the industry because we were really lacking many things then. I went to Dubai and Lagos, Alaba international market to look for the latest equipment in film making and that is how Iyan-Tama Multimedia became the first film making company to use piano music which is now everywhere in Nigeria.  So we have a credit there and that is my contribution to the Kannywood movie industry in which a lot of youths today are now showing their talents.

So the experience I had in ‘Bakandan Mai Rikicin Duniya’ is what convinced me to invest in the industry.  As at then, we would be in a location without food, water, transportation or even shelter, so most of the time I had to take out at least 5,000 Naira from my pocket to give the producer so that he can take care of other things. So, from there I developed interest and went back to make consultations with professionals. I looked for those with experience like Bashir Mudi. They guided me well and we came up with the Iyan-Tama Multimedia Company in 1997 registered with the CAC; and since then the company has produced many famous artists in Kannywood even producers and directors.

One of your films set you against the Kano State Government. What really happened?

The issue has been resolved amicably. They took me to court, and I went ahead with it to the Kaduna State High Court, which I finally won. So, we don’t have to look back again.  I thank the Almighty Allah that my name has been cleared. They even asked how much I should be compensated, but I said ‘no’, my innocence was what was important first, because they were not the ones who gave me capital to start my business in the beginning. So the court cleared me and they agreed that they were wrong.

So what is the present relationship between Kannywood and the present Kano State government?

We are in a better relationship with the state government unlike the past government, because Kwankwaso is a progressive governor. Knowing that filmmaking is important to the society and can create job opportunities to people, he has decided to establish a film academy after four years of fighting with the previous government, which sent away most film makers out of the state.  Now the present governor has even formed a committee to look into the issue, the committee has even visited the film village and where the film academy will be built.

Another progress we have with Kwankwaso is bringing filmmakers close to him by appointing one of them as the Commissioner for Information Alhaji Umar Faruk.  So, we are really proud of him and this is just the beginning of a new government, because he has even won his case in Kano at the election tribunal and we are all happy about that too. This is the beginning of good things to come in Kannywood.

How can you rate Hausa film production?

Before any film is sent to the market, nothing less than N20,000 would be paid to the National Film and Video Censor Board.  This is revenue generation. This will help the economy to improve, not talk of job creation. Before you produce a film, you have to employ not less than 300 people for a film. In 2005, the United Nations discovered that film making has contributed over 450 million dollars to the economy of Nigeria and it was the biggest in the world in terms of quantities not quality. Nigerian film making is the biggest in the world, we produce much quantity movie than any other country and when it comes to quality, we mention the Americans, Indians and Europeans  because they have sophisticated and up to date equipment which we don’t have here. However, I must say we are also growing fast because we started using VHS, then SuperVHS, and then we  came back to high definition camera, and with the help of the Federal Government with their support to the entertainment industry we may start producing  with celluloid.

You are a producer, author and head of a family all rolled into one. How do you cope?

It’s not easy, but I do it very well, if I may so myself. There is a book I have written, based on the experiences I have passed through in the course of my career and life. The title of the book is ‘Sirin Film A Saukake’ (‘Secrets of Film Made Easy’).  The book will be out in December.

What are those challenges Kannywood artists face?

As an actor, I know the challenges. Most of the challenges we face are mostly finance. No matter how rich one is, you will need to add value to whatever you are doing and you need to engage the community to understand what you are doing, so that you will not be misquoted.

So, why is it a normal pattern to see Kannywood movies taking after the music theme of Indian songs?

Can we talk about your latest movie?

It’s called ‘Kurkuku’ which means ‘Prison’ in Hausa. It will be out next year, as I still need about 11 million naira to complete it. I’ll finish my low-budget projects before tackling that.

A few Kannywood stars are seen in Nollywood movies, but not so the other way round…

Kannywood stars play vital roles in Nollywood movies, but I must tell you that people buy such movies in the North not because of the Nollywood stars, but because of the Kannywood stars in it. Take for Ali Nuhu, for instance, most people buy such Nollywood movies because of him. In terms of complimenting each other, most times, we have tried but some of them look down upon Kannywood movies. Some also look at the pay, but we will get there very soon. We are still trying to work out something where some of the big names in Nollywood can make special appearances in Kannywood movies. Very soon we will have Nollywood and Kannywood stars complementing each other to move the entertainment industry in Nigeria forward.