Recently, social media space became awash with pictures of Ali Nuhu, depicting him in an uncompromising scenic positions. It is against this backdrop IBRAHIM RAMALAN to piece together few out of the deluge of these outpourings by film critics, Kannywood apologists and his fans.
Arguably, Ali Nuhu is one of the popular actors that have made his marks in both Kannywood and Nollywood. As such, seeing pictures of him, or rather the actions portrayed by these visuals could anger a lot of first timers.
Though these pictures were believed to have been taking from the scenes of some of the movies he featured in Nollywood. Some of these pictures, however, according to some observers, were relatively old, while others were believed to have been taken in not so distant a time.
It could be recalled that in the wake of Ali Nuhu’s foray into Nollywood, a lot of reactions and counter reactions crept from his fans and Kannywood stakeholders.
Accordingly, Ali Nuhu came out and cleared the air when he said to the effect that, as a Muslim, who believes that actions are judged according to intentions, he believed that none of his actions in Nollywood films are done intentionally.
However, it appeared that Ali Nuhu failed to live up to the expectations of some people. They argue that the moment he found his way into the industry (Nollywood), where he could now exercise his acting prowess without restrain, he got beside himself with the euphoria and allow his alter ego to get the better of him.
Apparently, all these social media bickering have boiled down to justifying Ali Nuhu’s actions by saying that all are an attempt to pursue the job’s professional specifications.
They also explained that his foray into Nollywood has expanded the frontier of his acting career and in turn liberalise the process for a prospective collaboration between the ‘woods’.
While others were of the opinion that being a Muslim that he is, no matter how liberal he has become, Ali Nuhu should not have condescend so low and accepted such roles, as if he is the only one that can interpret these scripts?
According to one of these critics, Mohammad Ibrahim Mubarak, who is a teacher at Kano state Collage of Arts, Science and Remedial Studies, it is obvious that Ali Nuhu, considering the role model that he is, has become one of the champions of indecency in Nollywood.
He however acknowledged that Ali Nuhu is an icon to reckon with in both Kannywood and Nollywood industries.
“I believe he is what he is because of Kannywood and as Hausa/Muslim actor, representing you and me in the film making industry. And, our children believe in him because of that fact and so imitate him easily and quickly. So why should we leave him alone?” he queried.
Rising to the defense of Ali Nuhu, Mohammad Muhsin Ibrahim, who is also a lecturer at Bayero University, Kano, was quick to repudiate the earlier claims of Mohammad Ibrahim Mubarak when he said that he was not surprised at how sensational people could make things look like on social media.
He added that, “to some people, anything Kannywood is totally wrong, reprehensible; anti-religion and anti-culture; and nobody should associate him/herself with them.
“By the way, did he do that in any Kannywood film? No. But does that make it less wrong? No, and yes. No, because Ali Nuhu, as a Muslim, should not do something like that. Yes, because it’s not made under the banner of Kannywood!
Muhsin also recalled how foreign films way back were watched in the country without regard to whether or not we share the same believes with these actors and actresses, thereby insisting that acting is merely a role-playing.
“For more than a century, American and Indian films have been watched in Nigeria. So, even a small boy can differentiate between a Kannywood films from any other.
“So, film is 100% play-acting and role-playing. That’s why we don’t care whether or not an actor shares our faith, ideology or worldviews. He acts a script, and that’s all.
“If Ali Nuhu does wrong – and it’s wrong – in those films, it’s between him and his Creator. He cannot do the same in Kannywood, for there is still a sort of sanity compared to other film industries. We should not, as a matter of honesty, condemn them all,” he noted.
However, expressing divergent opinion, a graduate of Mass Communications, Abdul Abu, was of the opinion that as much as we wanted to look at this from an open mind point of view, the realities are alarming.
He said: “Now I am a big Ali Nuhu fan, I regard him as an acting role model and mentor, but facts are these:
“The roles you play in film translate further than just the persona’s character but also your persona in the real world.
“His growth in Kannywood (a major part of our local movie industry regarded to portray some sense of morality) has placed him in a position where more matter than just the figures on the cheque book.
“Ali Nuhu, I presume, is an ambassador of Kannywood and the principles it is “meant” to promote. No matter how educated we are or in an attempt to pursue the job’s professional specification, saying we should put aside religion and culture to push forward is perhaps the most misguided acquired knowledge I guess.”
Also, a renowned Mass Communications lecturer at ABU, Zaria, Mohammad Hashim looked at the whole issue from a global economic perspective and therefore questioned the sensibilities of these critics as thus:
“Why do you think the industry must be bound by our personal dictates? Why don’t we see the industry from a global albeit holistic view where the primary aim is to commercialise culture and maximise profit? Further, does the industry say it is promoting what you ascribe to it?
“You and I know that the basic drive of the capitalist economy is man’s desire to use what he has and exploit the situation towards his personal gratification. Check the global film industry, particularly its historical evolution,” he emphasized.
According to one Shuiabu alkali, a film critic from Sokoto, Ali Nuhu and co have, through Kannywood stuff, have adversely affected our societies so much so that what was shameful and earthshaking yesterday is now fashionable and acceptable.
“In the past, our society did not condone public expression of love but today, quite unfortunately, Kannywood has broken that jinx (something that Indian movies couldn’t succeed in doing).
“And again the altercations associated with the movie called ‘Dakin Amarya” which many married women wanted to imitate and others succeeded in imitating are awfully disgusting,” he lamented.
By and large, as a way of summing these argument up, one of the journalists and a film critics that are well verse in Kannywood films, Bashir Liman said that over and above all these bickering about kisses, hugs and what not, there is the need to understand that modernity is not just achieved by abandoning the old and inculcating the new adding that, a little blend of both will be magical.
“There are contemporary social realist issues in our society today that need urgent attention, which, with a good script, can be converted to a blockbuster movie that will go a long way in eradicating some of such problems, or at least, creating awareness over them,” he said.
