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‘Songs add spice to films but aren’t mandatory’

Weekend Magazine: How did you find yourself in the movie making business? Aminu Aliyu Sheriff: My passion for writing scripts drew me to the movie…

Weekend Magazine: How did you find yourself in the movie making business?

Aminu Aliyu Sheriff: My passion for writing scripts drew me to the movie industry about eighteen years ago. I was among the pioneer writers of comedy stories reflecting real life happenings, especially relating to marriage. My first appearance was in a film produced by Dikku production, then a comedy I produced, ‘Ayi dai mu gani’, and then a film produced by Ibrahima production. 

WM: Some of your fans see your recent role as a shift from what you were known for…

Sheriff: My first five movie appearances were all in comedies. Also, the scripts I started writing were all comedies. It was later that I started writing love stories and stories on other social issues. My valiant roles were of recent engagements and it was these valiant roles that earned me the ‘Arewa films award’ in 2001.

WM: You were absent from the screen business for some time until recently. What happened?

Sheriff: Yes, sometimes you have to step aside and observe how things were being done. During that period I became more involved in behind the scene roles rather than featuring as a character in a film. I was only observing and strategizing during that moment on new possibilities to move the industry forward. 

WM: How would you compare Kannywood of yesterday with that of today?

Sheriff: There is very little improvement, aside relative improvements in terms of human capital development because some of the practitioners have acquired more skills while others have succeeded in building their careers by attending conferences and seminars. 

It is good news that many even go back to school to pursue courses in theatre arts and related fields. Similarly, the support the industry is getting from NGOs, relevant government bodies and private individuals has also helped. However, in terms of content and the way things are done, I must say without mincing words that the past is far better. If compared, the yester-years were more realistic, more interesting and more educative. The stories then were woven around real social issues.

WM: There have been series of complains on indecent dressing and morality. What do you have to say about this?

Sheriff: These are products of modernisation and development. It is natural that when new things are introduced into a people’s culture, it would meet some resistance. Dressing or indecent dressing is something that is being discussed even at the family level. Artists always monitor the development in the society to identify issues in order to proffer solutions to them. It is impossible for you to draw attention of people to the evils associated with indecent dressing, unless you demonstrate these evils. However, it does not mean you should get deeper, to the extent that your fans will begin to see you as supporting indecency.

WM: What’s your view on singing and dancing in movies?

Sheriff: Even in India where it was borrowed from, that is not part of their culture. They only adapt it for entertainment purposes. Singing and dancing is not in tandem with Hausa culture. We can produce a hit movie without singing and dancing. We are calling on people that think they can’t do films without singing and dancing to look for meaningful and interesting stories to woo fans. Songs only add spice to films but they are not mandatory.

WM: Have you ever produced a film without singing and dancing?

Sheriff: Since I started, out of more than 10 films I produced, the films featuring casts singing and dancing wouldn’t be more than one or two. But all the films I produced recently, there was singing, but it was played in the background. I don’t sing and I am not a supporter of songs in films.

WM: How would you rate government’s assistance to the movie industry?

Sheriff: Government is only concerned about what it can get from the industry as tax rather than how it can assist develop the industry. We have been clamouring for protection against piracy for a very long time but government didn’t do much in that regard. The film industry has never received much assistance from the government compared to other sectors of the economy. 

The government has a critical role to play in the industry’s development, beyond providing the copyrights laws. It can encourage the industry through scholarship to enable its members acquire more skills, but little has been done in that regard by the government.

WM: But it was said Film village was rejected by same people?

Sheriff: The way we looked at that issue, it seems it was just political because the people that protested against the project were ill-informed about what the film village entails. They didn’t understand what it was all about until the project was relocated to Kaduna State. All of them have regretted their actions as they have confessed that they were misinformed. 

We wish Kaduna well and I pray that next time if something comes like that we would seek genuine information before taking any decision.

WM: What about government intervention on the film market?

Sheriff: This is what they have been saying for the past fifteen years. Any government, from local, state and federal can come with any initiative but what we are saying is that let there be an achievable time frame to any programme. We welcome anybody that has good plans for the industry, but it should be within a specified time frame.

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