I’m an actress with a difference – Aisha Muh’d

Aisha Umar Muhammed is a 20-year-old Kannywood actress. One of the fast-rising actresses who joined the industry a year-and-half ago, Aisha is a Chemistry graduate of Kano State University of Science and Technology, Wudil. In this interview with ALIYU ASKIRA in Kano, Aisha speaks on sundry issues, including how she is making a difference in her acting career.

Could you tell us briefly about yourself?
My name is Aisha Umar Mohammed, a 20-year-old Hausa Fulani from Kano state. I had my primary, secondary, and university education also in Kano. I started acting about a year and half ago. I sought the permission and blessings of my parents which they did, insisting however that I most finish my education. And I have just graduated from Kano State University of Science and Technology, Wudil – where I bagged a degree in Chemistry.

All I am waiting for is my national youth service. Alhamdulillah, in the North today the issue of marrying off girls at teenage ages is relatively out of fashion. We now have leaders that are insisting that women should not be restricted to the kitchen alone. The past administration of Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, I must say, has also done a lot to give priority to female education. So don’t be surprised that I graduated at the age of 20.

So why did you join Kannywood while you were still in school? Didn’t you think it could be a sort of distraction whatsoever?
Well, I told you the interest has been there for long. SO, when I was ready to start acting I met one Sani Indomie who assisted me and linked me up with the stakeholders in the industry.

The very moment I started, honestly speaking, I found things easy because the people in the industry are friendly and very accommodating and so far, I have featured in more than 10 successful films. I was in ‘Tafaru takare’ with popular actors and actresses like Aminu Momoh, Haliza Aliyu Gabon and Hafsat Idris Barauniya. I was also in ‘Umar Sanda’ in which the king of Kannywood – Aliyu Nuhu played the lead role.

And on my part, I did not disappoint myself because I was never nervous when I featured alongside popular actors and actresses. But one fact I must confess is, in ‘Umar Sanda’ I was quite jittery because I was given the role to kill somebody in the film. Though it was in self defense, he wanted to mess me up and so I killed him. Although it was a film, I later felt bad as if I actually killed somebody in a real life.

So how did you find the industry especially with the way people perceive female actresses as cheap and wayward and the actors too are looked upon as morally corrupt?
As far as I am concerned, the industry is very clean. We have people of excellent character and remarkable behavior in the industry, both on the side of the men and women. I can tell you in all honesty that nobody has ever insisted on taking advantage of me before giving me any role. We have people with vast Islamic knowledge here. We also have people with degrees, masters and even doctorate degrees. Things have changed here tremendously.

In terms of the quality of our film also, the industry is favourably competing because we now have good equipment, and even the pay is as good as in any other profession. In all honesty, this is a place where one could get his pay before one even starts the work. As such, I think I have every reason to encourage people to come and invest heavily in the industry because there is likelihood that they would definitely reap profits.

Any plans for marriage in the nearest future?
By this question you have just touched a vital point or issue in my life. To say the least, I am ready to settle down as quickly as possible. The thing is,  as a graduate and who is relatively doing fine in the industry, and of course looking at the fact that am a Muslim from a decent family, if a good person comes my way, I will not hesitate to offer myself for marriage. Being that as it may, I am currently into a serious relationship with a guy outside the industry, though we have not started discussing marriage yet.

As a graduate with a remarkable acting prowess, could you act in other woods like Nollywood?  
I can act any where if it will not involve open romance or things that go against my religion and culture. In fact if my children decide in future that they also want to take to acting, I will allow them on a condition that it has to be after they might have acquired the best education, subject to the approval of their father, anyway.

If you are to change some things in Kannywood, what would you like to change? I mean what are those things in the industry that you out rightly disapprove of?
I will make sure that not all manner of people come here and act.  I don’t like how some desperate ladies come into the industry with all sorts of temptations in order for them to get good roles – these are some of the characters that are giving us bad name in the society.

This is majorly the reason why I refuse to make many friends here. In fact my only good friend in the industry is Yaseera Babangida Yola.  Film has taken me into so many places. I visited many states in Nigeria, and in all these places people receive me with respect. We also need to change our costume. Some ladies these days use their own dresses on stage and you see them exposing sensitive parts of their body – this is against our religion.

Then another issue of concern is the storylines. I think script writers should also write decent storylines that would produce educative and interesting films that do not embarrass us or challenge our sensibilities as northerners.

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