Shareef Ahlan Movie director, producer, actor …lecturer?

WM: Did you start as an actor? Ahlan: Yes, I started as an actor and that is what I have been doing all this time. WM: At what point did you decide to go into producing, directing and other aspects of the movie industry? Ahlan: When I was acting, I saw how things were being […]

WM: Did you start as an actor?

Ahlan: Yes, I started as an actor and that is what I have been doing all this time.

WM: At what point did you decide to go into producing, directing and other aspects of the movie industry?

Ahlan: When I was acting, I saw how things were being done then and decided to try my luck and see how far I can go as a producer. First of all, I produced a movie called Kanzuwa. Later on, I produced a movie called 419. 419 became a blockbuster overnight. Producing 419 was a risky venture for me. It was a case of trying one’s luck. Directing the movie was a risky venture for me also. Well, I said to myself if the movie came out fine, good for me; if not, I would accept my fate and move on.

WM: How long have you been directing?

Ahlan: Five years and I have directed over 50 films.

WM: Is Shareef Ahlan your real name? Some people say the name sounds like it’s made up…

Ahlan: My real name is Aminu Shareef Abdul. You know in Hausa culture, once you are called Shareef, Ahlan automatically follows. That is how I inherited the name. So right now, my name in the movie industry is Aminu Shareef Ahlan.

WM: Are you married?

Ahlan: I have been married for the past eight years. My wife is called Aisha. We are blessed with three kids, two girls and a boy.

WM: Does your Kannywood career cause problems between you and your wife?

Ahlan: These are problems that everyone in the entertainment industry is faced with. In fact, it took her time before she agreed to marry me, because of the same Kannywood issue. When we got married, she found it a bit difficult to adjust, especially with the phone calls that come in at odd hours.

Whenever she picked the phone and heard a female voice, she’d hang up and get upset. In fact, one of my female fans once called and told her that she can’t have me alone, that they too want to share me with her. But right now, she is used to all that and things are normal. These are problems that are mostly associated with people like us.

WM: How do you find time to look after your family and kids?

Ahlan: I am used to juggling things all my life. Even when I teach and act, I still find time for my family. I make sure I travel with them if the opportunity permits. Most of the time, especially in the evening, I’m with them.

WM: You are an actor, director, producer and lecturer! How did you become a lecturer?

Ahlan: I have been in the teaching profession for the past 13 years. I finished my NCE in 1996 and since then I have been teaching. All this while that I have been acting, I also teach. After my graduation with a BA (ED.) in Education in 2005, I got appointment with Sa’adatu Rimi College of Education as a lecturer. I now teach History there.

WM: Don’t your students get distracted by your star status?

Ahlan: I am teaching NCE III as at now. The first time I went to the class, the students were shocked to see me. They were, like, ‘Wow! What is Shareef doing in our class?’ They concluded that I was coming to shoot a film. I did pretend that it was a film I was coming to shoot. I told them that my movie crew were bringing my equipment.

Meanwhile, I introduced a topic in History which I said I’d like to discuss with them. At the end of the discussion, I actually revealed to them that I’m their new history teacher and they got excited. Right now, my history class which ordinarily should be of 200 students attracts over 1000 students because those not offering the subject joined the class just to hear me teach.

WM: Have you appeared in any Nollywood project?

Ahlan: There was a movie called Hamza that I was called to participate in. The producer later called to say that he had run out of cash. I equally got to find out that the money they wanted to pay were peanuts. They thought that we in Kannywood want to appear in Nollywood at all cost and do not know our own worth.

They also think we are not worth appearing in Nollywood as they have this belief that we are not sound in speech, in terms of speaking the English language. I made them to understand that I must be paid the same with the Nollywood actors because I believe that we are equal, if not better.

WM: What is the craziest thing a fan of yours has ever done?

Ahlan:  Fans could be very interesting and intriguing. There was this day that I was going somewhere and my car had a punctured tyre and I could not get in touch with my mechanic, so I had to take an okada over to his place. On getting there, I just saw this woman running towards me and she came and hugged me, and standing there with her was someone I think must have been her husband. She just kept screaming my name and trying to explain to anyone who cared who I was. I was embarrassed about the whole situation. Fans could really do things that could be embarrassing and this really was one of those days that I would never forget in a hurry.