By Muhammad Sabiu
A famous Kannywood producer and former actress, Mansurah Isah, took to her social media accounts to lament how some southern Nigerian cinemas rejected the Hausa films.
She further complained about the government’s reluctance to support the films produced by the Kano-based Hausa film industry, Kannywood, and the inability to make the films as popular as those produced in other film industries in Nigeria.
Speaking in a 56-second video, she strongly questioned why Hausa movies are not popular all over Nigeria, except in just a section of the country, which, according to her, should not be like this.
“What did we Hausa producers do in Nigeria that our Hausa movies cannot be shown in cinemas all over Nigeria? But Yoruba movies will be all over; Igbo movies all over. Nigerian movies, too, are all over. So why is that we Hausa producers all left behind,” she questioned.
Though she didn’t mention anybody’s or agency’s name, Mansurah further solicited assistance, which she said should be by patronising films produced by the Kannywood film industry.
“Let us be assisted. You should make regulations. Display your language. Display your culture. You should love us. Make our films to be watched all over Nigeria. An English movie would be brought and shown in Kano, but a Hausa film wouldn’t be taken to Lagos and be displayed there. What is the reason?
Tacitly addressing people in power, she said, “We are the ones who support you. We neither insult nor defame you but we are still not developed. So what do you want us to do?
“I beg you in the name of God to help us and come up with regulations that will make Hausa films to be consumed everywhere in Nigeria.”
Kannywood is embattled with many tough challenges relating to cultural and religious issues, clichéd film content, monopoly of megastars, internal crises, among other problems critics and experts point out.
Masurah produced Fanan, a film whose songs have been trending on social media for several months. It recently showed in cinemas in Kano.