Bollywood

By Habibu Maaruf Abdu 

The social media in Northern Nigeria was recently abuzz with reports that Kannywood actress Fati Washa allegedly ignored and embarrassed some of her fans. This incident mirrors the infamy of certain Kannywood stars who are generally known for disrespecting their supporters. And that’s truly unfortunate!

Fans are the backbone of every entertainer’s success. Without their support, applause, and attention, there would be no fame, no endorsement deals, and no screen presence. So why do some Kannywood stars treat them with such indifference, even disdain?

Take a look at how global celebrities carry themselves. When Lionel Messi visited a restaurant in Argentina, he didn’t ignore the crowd of fans gathered outside. Despite being with his family, he waved, smiled, and acknowledged their love. 

In Bollywood, big stars like Salman Khan often stop for quick selfies or a simple wave to appreciate their fans. Even Hollywood legends like Keanu Reeves are celebrated not just for their talent but for their humility and approachability.

So, if celebrities from such massive industries, with far greater global fame on a scale Kannywood can only dream of, still find it important to respect their fans, what excuse do the local stars have?

I know for sure that not all Kannywood actors are like that. I met many of the industry’s A-listers, and my interactions with them have been nothing short of respectful. Perhaps it’s because I know how to read the room; when I sense a dismissive attitude, I simply stay away. But I’ve had some memorable encounters worth sharing.

Back in 2012, shortly after graduating from secondary school, a friend of mine wrote a film script. I suggested we visit Shy Plaza in Gadon Kaya, where, at that time, Kannywood filmmakers had a significant presence, to discuss it with a renowned producer. I was familiar with the area, having lived nearby.

We went there full of hope. The producer wasn’t around, so we waited. Then we saw Sadiq Sani Sadiq walk by. We decided not to approach him. But he came over and greeted us. He smiled, shook our hands, and made us feel seen. We were both under 20 at the time, nobodies, really, yet he showed us respect. From that day on, he earned my admiration and loyalty as a fan.

Over the years, my interest in Kannywood deepened. I attended many of their events and premieres. When Filmhouse Cinema opened at ShopRite in Kano, I was a regular attendee. I saw many Kannywood personnel there during movie promotions. Still, I rarely approached anyone—except Falalu Dorayi and Nazifi Asnanic, both of whom responded warmly and even posed for pictures with me.

There was also Aisha Humaira, the recent bride. I once saw her being approached by a young girl at the cinema premises asking for a photo. I was seated nearby when she turned to me and said, “If you don’t mind, please snap us.” I was amazed at her subtle show of humility.

Later, when I gained a bit of recognition as a film reviewer, I made the conscious decision to stop attending premieres, just to avoid being compromised by familiarity with filmmakers. I even turned down invites to special screenings, keeping my professional distance. At festivals and award events, I would often avoid conversations with actors altogether.

But something remarkable happened recently. It was at a UNICEF function, and thanks to our mentor Malam Habibu Aminu Lawan, I attended alongside Amina Bako and other social media influencers. We were seated right next to Kannywood veterans like Rabi’u Rikadawa, Umma Shehu, Umar M. Sharif, and others.

Because of actors’ reputation for snobbery, we decided to “maintain our steeze,” acting like we didn’t care. Interestingly, we ended up sharing laughs and engaging in light-hearted conversations. I even had an insightful discussion with Rikadawa about his acting prowess and the industry at large.

Therefore, based on my experience, I can confidently say that there are truly humble and grounded personalities in Kannywood, especially among the educated and veteran actors. The problem primarily lies with the naive, up-and-coming actors who mistakenly believe that arrogance equates to importance. And sadly, it doesn’t. It only exposes their insecurity.

In conclusion, Kannywood actors need a serious reality check. Fame is fleeting. The same fans you ignore today can forget you tomorrow. You have to respect your fans. They made you who you are.

Habibu Maaruf Abdu wrote from Kano via habibumaaruf11@gmail.com.

By Haroon Aremu

Like a sly jester winking at the moon, I was scrolling through social media when I encountered celebrity interviews recounting how they rake in millions within months. This spectacle ignited a contagious fervour among the youth, convincing them that the entertainment industry is the sole avenue to instant riches. 

No one talks about the failures, the countless auditions, or the silent struggles behind the scenes; they only talk about the glamour, the wealth, and the “soft life.”  

Bollywood thrives on strategic government investment, making it a global economic force that boosts employment, tourism, and digital expansion. Unlike Nigeria’s self-funded entertainment sector, India injects billions into its film industry, ensuring sustained growth and international reach.  

Beyond captivating audiences, it turns filming locations into major tourist attractions, employs millions across various roles, and operates as a well-structured economic engine that drives cultural and financial influence.

Bollywood wields significant soft power, shaping international perceptions, fostering trade partnerships, and influencing policy discussions on a global scale. Now, the burning question is If India has done it, why can’t Nigeria?

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Nigerian leadership stand on a promising foundation. Nollywood is already the second-largest film industry globally, built almost entirely on private effort. With champions like Kunle Afolayan, Femi Adebayo, Funke Akindele, Toyin Abraham and others reshaping narratives and cashing in on global platforms like Netflix, Prime Video and Box Office. 

It is clear that Nollywood is not just an entertainment industry—it is an untapped goldmine. The cinematic feats of Kemi Adetiba, Mo Abudu, Bolanle Austen-Peters, etc., prove that, with proper government investment, Nollywood could evolve from a privately managed giant into a fully empowered national asset.  

According to research, Nollywood generates over $590 million annually and produces around 2,500 films a year. It has managed to thrive despite a lack of properly structured federal support. 

Imagine if this industry received the same kind of backing Bollywood enjoys. Free from corruption, federal investment could elevate production quality, generate millions of jobs, and turn Nollywood into Nigeria’s foremost non-oil revenue, especially when youth yearn for employment due to unemployment being generic.

Content creation, beyond Nollywood, has emerged as a formidable economic engine in Nigeria, proving that digital storytelling is not just a fleeting trend but a viable sector capable of generating wealth, employment, and global recognition. 

The success of creators like Mr. Macaroni, Taooma, Kiekie, Sabinus, Lasisi Elenu, Cute Abiola, etc., illustrates how social media has democratised entertainment, allowing individuals to carve niches without relying on traditional gatekeepers like film studios or record labels. 

Through comedy skits, social commentary, and brand endorsements, these creators have transformed their craft into multi-million naira enterprises, employing scriptwriters, videographers, editors, and marketers while driving traffic to brands and tourism sites. 

Their work showcases Nigeria’s culture and humour on the global stage, attracting foreign partnerships and sponsorships that would have otherwise been reserved for mainstream Nollywood productions. 

When properly harnessed, digital content creation can become a major economic driver, like Bollywood’s integration of influencers and digital expansion into film, tourism, and commerce. With the right policies—such as tax breaks, structured funding, and intellectual property protection—Nigeria’s content industry could grow into a leading non-oil revenue stream, competing with global giants like India and the United States. 

Despite its promise, the content creation industry in Nigeria still grapples with fundamental challenges that could hinder its full potential. Unlike Bollywood, which benefits from government-backed investment and structured growth strategies, Nigerian content creators operate in a largely informal economy, where access to funding, infrastructure, and legal protections remains inadequate.

Some creators lack financial literacy, face inconsistent brand deals, and operate without a regulatory framework that protects their intellectual property. 

Additionally, the absence of dedicated digital innovation hubs limits their ability to scale, collaborate, or transition from short-form content to full-length productions capable of breaking into mainstream cinema as some have done. 

While some content creators have managed to bridge the gap between skit-making and brand influence, an untapped market for leveraging content creation into mainstream entertainment and tourism remains. 

The government and private investors need to recognise digital storytelling as more than just “youthful amusement” but as a serious industry that, when properly structured, could create thousands of jobs, foster digital entrepreneurship, and export Nigerian creativity worldwide. 

Suppose Nigeria is to harness the creative economy truly. In that case, it must institutionalise financial incentives, support digital film villages, and encourage content creators to transition into high-value productions that can contribute to global streaming platforms, film festivals, and international collaborations.

Only then can the country move beyond isolated success stories to a full-fledged, structured entertainment ecosystem that mirrors Bollywood’s impact on India’s economy.

States like Lagos, Kwara and others have already positioned themselves as film hubs, investing in production studios, enabling policies, and film villages to attract investors. If these state-led initiatives can yield results, what would happen if Nigeria had a full-scale federal-backed Nollywood revolution? 

With well-structured grants, tax breaks, and infrastructure development, Nollywood could rival Hollywood and Bollywood, expanding tech-based employment and transforming Nigeria into Africa’s entertainment capital.  

Yet, a crucial caution must be heeded. Nollywood, like every thriving industry, has its fair share of pitfalls. The rise of viral sensations over genuine talent, the exploitation of controversies for social media relevance, and the blurred line between creativity and chaos all pose risks to the industry’s long-term sustainability. 

Nigeria must ensure that Nollywood does not fall victim to the same cycle of corruption that crippled agriculture and the oil sector.  

The truth remains: talent differs from cruise, and entertainment is bigger than scandal-driven fame. Nollywood has the potential to be a global force, a national pride, and an economic goldmine. 

The question is: Will Nigeria seize this opportunity or let Negligence and corruption again destroy another billion-dollar industry?

Haroon Aremu Abiodun, an author and PRNigeria fellow, wrote via exponentumera@gmail.com.

By Zailani Bappa

I read a post by someone who expressed his worry about the lack of unity of purpose (in fact, he said, unity of everything) among the Nigerian people. He was writing about the movie industry. He said Hollywood had been a household name for a country as vast as America. So also Bollywood for a country as big as India. Both countries are bigger and more economically prosperous than Nigeria.

However, despite the existence of Nollywood, we still have the Kannywood in Nigeria. He believes the existence and progression of Kannywood are retrogressive to the Unity of purpose in the industry in Nigeria. I reason with him. However, that is only when the matter is viewed from the surface. Scratch the surface a little, and you’ll see the bigger picture.

Both Nollywood and Kannywood emerged in prominence in the 1990s. Nollywood comes in English, pidgin, Igbo and Yoruba. The Kannywood comes mainly in Hausa and a few times in English. Looking at the Hollywood and Bollywood industries as both business and national projects, both Industries tend to project National Unity, National Pride and National dignity of their respective countries. And the business does not discriminate in the selection of protagonists.

However, in Nigeria, tribal, sectional and religious stereotypes continue to influence the industry, which makes it even more difficult to have a unified industry. To date, egg-heads of the Nollywood industry find it difficult to accept the fact that the industry needed to diversify and be all-inclusive in sourcing for their resource. For instance, African-Americans in the US are arguably the lowliest rated race in the US. However, the Hollywood industry does not believe so. The Industry became all-inclusive and explored for talents instead of being led by stereotypes. Now the negros are almost the best actors in the industry. That is how it grew to excellence.

In Nigeria, however, Nollywood, with the advantage of producing in English first, metamorphosed most of the vernacular protagonists into English productions but unwittingly limited the train to those from the South-East of the Country who saw themselves as the owners of the industry. For instance, the far Northern Nigerian does not deserve more than the role of a gateman in Nollywood films. If at all you hear the name Musa, Usman, or  Bala, then, it’s the guy employed to look after the gate or wash the cars of Obinna, Ifeanyi or Chibuzo. The Lagos-based Industry is not making any genuine efforts to integrate with the Kannywood industry, even as the latter continues to grow in influence and affluence in the North and elsewhere.

However, the Kannywood, with its vast audience across the Hausa-speaking communities across the globe, also failed to grow in its intellectual capacity. It instead gets stuck to its money-making trash productions in the name of soyayya themes, which, apart from the sheer entertainment it provides, literally promotes empty value to the morale, capacity and quality of lives of the audience, not to even talk of national value, pride and dignity.

In Nigeria, the film industry has no idea or focus on National project but purely exist for business reasons. Hollywood has developed over time to become an agenda setter for the United States policymakers and implementors. It has now become a platform and potent avenue for increasing the influence of the United States over other nations and peoples worldwide. The Indian Industry also helps that country placate the outside world with its numerous internal crises and contradictions by promoting a clean, prosperous and happy India.

In Nigeria, Nollywood promotes less national dignity and unity but corruption, indecency, cultism and disunity. It exposes more of the weak and bad sides of the country, its institutions, leaders and people instead of strengthening their good sides more. Why? Because they make better money doing that since their productions appeal more to the wrong side of humanity in us. The Kannywood, with its empty intellectual value, is simply vain. So, as the two continue to grow side by side like that, we may have to do with the fast growth of a two-left-legged maiden of an industry.

Zailani Bappa wrote from Bauchi State via zailanbappa@gmail.com.

To borrow from Aditya Chopra in his short review of Hum Aapke Hain Koun (1994), “It’s a mind-blowing film, a complete entertainer [which] deserves all the success it gets”. This description is apt for the latest Indian Tollywood epic titled RRR.

Directed by S.S Rajamouli, the film is a large scale period action drama that outshines even his record-breaking Baahubali. Its seemingly strange title, RRR, originates from the director’s initials (Rajamouli) and the two protagonists (RamCharan and RamaRao). The three-letter title also stands for Roudram Ranam Rudhiram (Rage war Blood) and Rise Roar Revolt in the film’s Telugu and Hindi versions, respectively.

Firmly placed in Rajamouli’s style of high fantasy, elaborate set design and spectacular CGI, the film is visually stunning and exhilarating. The story is a historical fiction set in the 1920s British India, with Alluri Sitarama Raju (Played by Ram Charan) and Komaram Bheem (Played by N.T Rama Rao Jr.) as the leading characters. Two Indian revolutionary leaders who fought against the British colonial rule at the time inspired these characters.

Plot:

Sitarama Raju (Ram Charan) is an anti-British rebel leader disguised as a loyal police officer of the Crown. Komaram Bheem (N.T. Rama Rao Jr.), on another side, is a freedom fighter from the Gond tribe on a mission to attack the British colonial rulers and rescue a girl, Malli, who they enslave. Unfortunately, the British authorities get information about his mission, and their fearless cop, Raju, takes up the challenge to search and arrest him to get a promotion. However, Raju and Bheem become friends as they are unaware of each other’s true identities.

Later on, Bheem reveals his mission to Raju and goes on to attack the British. Raju chases him and succeeds in arresting him after a fierce face-off. Therefore, the British government promotes him to a senior officer, not knowing that he, too, is plotting against them. The story continues…

The film is indeed an exciting movie full of breathtaking adventures. It proves enthralling right from the beginning when it introduces Ram Charan in a crowd scene, where he bravely manhandles thousands of protesters to catch one of them. It then continues with the equally rousing NTR’s introduction scene showing his encounter with wild beasts. It keeps the magic with another thrilling sequence in which the two heroes team up to save a boy from a ghastly train accident. All these, even before the climax! Indeed, director S.S Rajamouli has shown his unrivalled directorial talent in this movie.

The efficient, exciting performance of the two musclebound leading actors (Ram Charan and Rama Rao) makes this film a huge success. They effortlessly excel in the skillfully choreographed action sequences throughout the action-packed movie.

Without mincing words, RRR is a fascinating, thoroughly entertaining movie that keeps the viewer hooked throughout. You will immensely enjoy it. Don’t miss out! Rating 4/5.

Reviewed by:

Habibu Maaruf Abdu

(Kano, Nigeria)

habibumaaruf11@gmail.com