Kannywood mourns veteran actress Zainab Booth

The death of veteran Kannywood actress Hajiya Zainab Booth on Thursday came as a shock to many of her colleagues, fans and admirers.

Zainab Booth, a mother to famous actress Maryam Booth, was one of the few actresses that have spent over two decades in the Kannywood film industry.

• How El-Rufai ‘secretly’ withdrew son from public school
• Uniuyo shuts down hotels over death of student

Late Zainab Booth, who had a Fulani mother and a Scottish father, was very instrumental to the development of the film industry known today as Kannywood.

Her contribution to the existence of the sector will always be remembered and cherished by her colleagues, fans, stakeholders and the industry.

She was among the first to show the world that acting was just like any other profession and that people should not criticize the sector for no reason.

To prove that, the late actress had allowed three of her children – Amude, Sadiya and Maryam, to be actively involved in the film making industry as actors and actresses.

Though her action was met by serious castigation, the late actress was determined to prove a point and she did.

The 1960 born actress had been a strong motivational icon to various Kannywood stars.

She starred in Hausa films like the blockbuster “Jarumai, ‘There is a Way and This is the Way’ among many others. She was popular with the motherly roles she played in her various films.

According to Hausa film analyst Malam Abba Ibraheem Zandam, the history of the development of Kannywood will not be complete without mentioning the positive contributions of the late Zainab Booth.

He explained that it was people like Booth that have made the conservative Hausa society accept the industry’s contribution to societal development, adding that late Zainab had contributed in ensuring that the initial misconception of the Hausa movie industry is being corrected.

Zandam further revealed that her no-nonsense attitude had earned her respect everywhere she found herself, she was regarded and respected as a mother of Kannywood actors and actresses.

“To me, Zainab’s contribution in the development of the film industry will always be remembered as one of the best. She played a vital role in redirecting the conservative Hausa community misperception of the film industry to a positive one. May Allah have mercy on her soul amin,” said Zandam.

The news of her death was announced by Kannywood actor Ali Nuhu on his Instagram page. The actor said late Zainab died Thursday night and that she will be buried on Friday morning in Kano.

“With the deepest heart, I announce the demise of Hajiya Zainab Booth. The Jana’iza prayers will be held on Friday at her residence, opposite Premiere Hospital in the morning,” Ali Nuhu wrote.

It was gathered that the actress died after a brief illness, it was also reported that the actress was sick for some time and that she had gone through a minor brain surgery some time ago.

Her son Umar Booth confirmed to our reporter that their mother died after a brief illness.

However, condolences from the film making industry have started flowing in. Famous actress Hadiza Kabara described late Zainab Booth as a role model in the industry, adding that her death has left a gap that will be very difficult to fill within a short period of time.

“She played motherly roles in films and in real life she is like a mother to all of us. She advises us and guides us especially on film sets, she is like a mother to many of us and we will surely miss her a lot.

“Indeed, her death has left a gap that will be very difficult to fill within a short period of time, but do we have a choice? God that took her away from us knows best; we will continue to pray for her departed soul,” said Kabara.

While commenting on the actress’ death, Kannywood producer, director and actor Falalu Dorayi said late Zainab Booth’s death has hit the industry so hard that every member is mourning her death.

According to him, the actress has been a strong pillar of the industry’s development and that the industry will forever remain indebted to her.

He said he had worked with the late actress on several films and that he had never encountered anything bad with the late actress.

“I have worked with the late actress on several films and the last time I worked with her was on the set of ‘This is the Way and There is a Way’ these were all produced by Kabiru Jammaje.

She was like a mother to many of us; she accords respect to everyone irrespective of your age or social status, and her maturity in handling even the most complex issues is splendid.

No doubt, Kannywood will surely miss her motherly role and we pray God to forgive all her shortcomings and grant the family the fortitude to bear the loss,” said Falalu Dorayi.

Daily Trust Saturday gathered that with the death of the actress, some artists have taken to their social media platforms displaying the pictures of the late actress as a sign of solidarity from the industry.

Late Zainab Booth’s funeral rites were conducted in her court road residence in Kano and she has since been buried. May her soul rest in perfect peace.