‘Marketers determine who stars in Kannywood’

How did you joined the industry? It is a very long story but let me cut it short. Immediately we lost Government in 2003, then I was the former secretary of (KANSIEC) Kano State Independent election commission under the Kwankwaso administration. I was the first to be booted out of office. I took courage and […]

How did you joined the industry?

It is a very long story but let me cut it short. Immediately we lost Government in 2003, then I was the former secretary of (KANSIEC) Kano State Independent election commission under the Kwankwaso administration. I was the first to be booted out of office. I took courage and went for the memorization of Holy Qur’an with some young, talented teachers, who were selling tomatoes along Zoo Road opposite Rima House by Trade fair complex. It was there I met Dan Magori and Mohammed Kabara, a Hausa film director who appreciated my talent for writing stories.

What the issues that need to be addressed?

Actually in every aspect regarding the movie industry there are certain issues that need serious attention. Let us take for instance the scope of the entertainment industry worldwide, it is universally accepted that the movie industry is a channel via which a lot of issues can be addressed via educating and entertaining. But what we are having here in the core north is a movie industry ridiculed and portrayed in a most ridiculous manner by groups of people that know nothing about what movie making entails.

Is the industry okay the way it is now?

We are not saying there are no errors in the Hausa movie industry, of course there are. But what we believe is that, it is wrong to assume that the movie industry is a part-time issue. Let me categorically state here that, the Hausa movie industry has come to stay as an institution just like all other institutions. So, do we fold our arms and allow the wave of euphoria that has over-clouded the young minds of the practitioners and the passion for wealth accumulation continue to control what we believe has a lot to contribute to our development? We all know the answer is no, and that is why we said let us be within the system and systematically watch over it and ensure conformity to norms and values of our religion, culture and tradition.

How can the industry regains its lost glory?

Even though I do not totally subscribe to the idea that the industry has lost its glory to some extent; I am optimistic that  a lot needs to be done to ensure its sustainability. However, the good news here is that after years of turmoil and efforts to cripple the industry by some individuals, Kannywood has managed to come out stronger than it were. Moreover, now that the industry has a government that knows the worth of the movie industry, a lot can be achieved.

What must be done to take the industry to international standard?

Really, measures have been taken by the state government and individuals in the  industry in ensuring that the whole sector has been revived. I need not tell you the various attempts made to see that the Hausa movie industry has attained international standard within the shortest possible period. The issue here remains cooperation by all stakeholders involved in reviving the industry.

How about your involvement with the movement to uplift the standard of institutionalizing cultural values?

It is not a new movement in a way. As I have stated earlier, religious, cultural and traditional preservation is what I personally wish to project. Though I believe in the movie industry, do not subscribe to the idea of cultural and traditional deviation all in the name of movie making. That is why I do not buy the idea of singing and dancing in our movies.

My firm, Arewa Records and Levels specialized in documentaries, home videos and jingles on preservation of our culture and tradition. We have so far produced documentaries like ‘Kano Rich Cultural Heritage’ and home videos like Tarbiya 1 and 2, the controversial movie called Illar Badala, jingles, The mother ‘Mabada Mama’ and Babbar Rana among others. If you have watched some of our works you will understand what I am talking about better.

Our cultures and traditions are what tell others who really we are, and if we do not preserve them then we will definitely lose our identity. An Indian is an Indian man because he has his unique ways as an Indian, likewise an American. So if we opt for borrowing from others, do you think you will be regarded as one of them? I don’t think so, preserving our rich cultural heritage is what will give us recognition and understanding among others.

Is Kannywood being monopolized by some individuals?

Ideally, monopoly ought to have been an element that triggers competition in a sector, and I strongly agree that there are elements of monopoly to some extent in the movie industry especially in the marketing sector. However, these monopolies are to the detriment of the industry as against its progression.

It is disheartening to note that some marketers in the movie industry decide on who will feature in a movie and who will not. And the producers are left with no option than to comply or else pay the ultimate price of being pushed out of business. There is indeed the need to have an open market that will empower, make and not mar.

What do you think about the government’s interest in the industry?

Let us face the reality and call a spade a spade; the industry has never come across a government that has a plan for it like the present administration under the leadership of Governor Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso.

And I strongly believe this is the right time for Kannywood to utilize its chances and make something meaningful out of it. We have seasoned movie practitioners among the executives, take for instance the commissioner of information Professor Umar Farouk who is also the National President of Motion Pictures Practitioners Association of Nigeria (MOPPAN); this is a man with a vision for transforming the Hausa movie industry to the highest level in Africa in particular and the world in general. And I am confident that with support from all the guilds that make up MOPPAN and other stakeholders in the industry, he will achieve that. As a university Don, Professor Farouk has all it takes to set the ball rolling for the industry.

Similarly, pioneering companies like Iyan Tama Multimedia, Sarauniya, Mandawari, N. H Production, Movie World, Home Alone, MAS Entertainment and FKD Production and the likes should all join hands and work together as a medium towards reviving the industry. These pioneering companies are still relevant in the industry as they still command reasonable respect among the practitioners.

How can the government sustain these efforts?

We should live with each other in harmony and also we should all join hands in ensuring that Kannywood has reached its apex in terms of development. We should also be disciplined and considerate. Similarly, my advice to government is that it should carry along practitioners in all activities that concern the movie industry.