Being an Actor Has Been Challenging – Ali Nuhu

Nigerian actor, producer,director and Globacom ambassador, Ali Nuhu is one of the most prominent figures in Kannywood who has acted in quite a number of Hausa movies and several English movies as well. A force to reckon with in the movie world, the 41 year old award winning actor who has spent more than a decade in the movie world speaks about his experience in the industry, trends in Hausa film among other issues.

You are a Film House cinema ambassador. What does that portray for you as an actor? It means a lot to me, a responsibility to support the growth of cinema in Kano State and other environs and to also help support the ideals of the company, Film House led by Mr. Kene Mparu, which is to build scores of cinemas all over the cities of Nigeria. It was a privilege and the cinema in Kano State has brought a new vista and we the movie makers in the north have been encouraged, exploring different opportunities.

With the advent of the Film House Cinema in Kano State, what does this signify for the movie industry in the north? Like I said, it will open up the cinema culture in the north just like other regions are experiencing now. Growing up, I used to go and watch films in the theatres and there were a couple of cinema houses across Nigeria in the 80s and early 90s. Now we hope that with companies investing in building modern day cinemas in different regions, these will open up the cinema culture everywhere. And these will in turn impact on the movie makers who will make movies for the cinemas. Kannywood before now was making movies with the home video market in mind, the stories were there, the human capacity; actors and actresses were there, and we worked with a small budget but with government recognition and intervention, the movie industry will now grow.

With the level of insecurity recorded in the north, people are of the opinion that the creation of a cinema in Kano is considered bad business, what is your take on this? As far as I am concerned, it is good business because these challenges were considered before establishing Film House Cinema in Kano State. Besides, a cinema house affords the people the opportunity to relax and engage more in social interactions. Everyone wants to leave the comfort of their homes and watch the current movies on bigger screen with other people. The feeling is always different from watching from home. The home video market afforded us this opportunity which we have engaged in, the next level is the cinemas.

You are one of the few actors from Kannywood that has carried the industry in good light. How has this been for you? It has not been a leisure walk in the park to achieve this feat, and I’m just even starting. Kannywood is a growing industry and I’m glad to be part of the growth. For me, being an actor has been challenging and it has been one step after another, one point of victory and the other. Acting has been a wonderful moment for me, yet it has been challenging and nothing really comes easy. I’ve had to focus on it full time and it is yielding fruits now.

What has been the high point for Kannywood? Presently Kannywood is experiencing a boost and this is partly caused by the recent establishment of the cinema house which has been a great deal for people to be able to visit the cinema and see latest movies. It has not been like this before. We used to have cinemas in the 80s and 90s but with the economic downturn, cinemas closed down. With Film House being the first cinema to open in Kano, others will surely follow.

Do you share the same view that Kannywood movie are lagging behind other films in the English, Igbo and Yoruba genre? It a two way thing. Yes and No. As I said, Kannywood is evolving. Other regional movie industries have taken a step higher because of the advent of cinemas. Other than that, the movies in Igbo, Yoruba and Hausa languages are all similar. They are all dramas and depend on the scripts and the ingenuity of the director to bring out the best from each character. The new Nollywood as we call it has afforded the movie industry an opportunity to explore new frontiers. As you can see, there are good quality movies now in Nollywood, particularly the English speaking one because of the opportunities to premiere the movies in the cinemas and not just shoot the movies for the home video market alone. This is a craft and business that ought to be embrace and enhanced. In the real sense of it, Kannywood now has great movies and we are doing better with better cameras, increased technology in the production of a movie and the dialogue which expresses the culture and cultural diversity of the people in the north. It is the same in the movies in other regions, we are all trying to bring out good stories that address issues in our nation. How did you break into the English movie sector? When I first started appearing in the English movies, the challenge I had was the perception of my people. Most people misunderstood what I was trying to do. But with time, when the movies started coming out, they became acquainted with what I was trying to do.

So what should we expect from Ali Nuhu in 2015? Expect great things. I have produced 13 movies so far sand will produce a few more in 2015. Of note is a movie that will be done in Hausa and English language, it is a novel idea and this will bring both Kannywood and Nollywood actors into one project.