Comrade Husain Tukur Batsari, popularly known as Alkhairee, is an actor as well as a scriptwriter in the popular Kannywood film industry. In his interview with IBRAHIM HAMISU in Kano, he reveals how he joined the industry even as a policeman.
Background
My name is Comrade Husaini Tukur Batsari, popularly known as Alkhairee. I was born in the Batsari local government area of Katsina state. I attended Model Primary School Batsari after which I proceeded to Batsari Junior Secondary School, then Unity Malumfashi where I obtained my Senior Secondary School Certificate. Afterwards, I obtained my NCE from FCE Kano. I got a police job in 2022 after I completed my NCE programme. Currently, I’m a policeman as well as a film actor.
How did you join the film industry?
As I mentioned earlier, I studied at FCE Kano. I grew up with a passion for entertainment because I started writing stories when I was in junior secondary school. I also started writing songs under the tutelage of one of our neighbours called Ibrahim Councilor. He was the person that taught me the rules of composing songs. Thereafter, I was able to sing at least 12 songs. We then organised a singers’ association in our local government on which platform we used to organise events to entertain people. From that, I realised that I had a role to play in the film production, but I did not know how to find my way into the industry, and I knew that my parents would hardly allow me to join. As a result of that, I secured admission at FCE Kano in an attempt to look for an opportunity to fulfil my goal.
At FCE Kano, I fortunately became friends with a course mate who was into film production. His name is Ali Daddy Sharaɗa. He doesn’t appear much in films, but he finds locations for film shootings.
One day, while we were eating food, he told us that he was in a hurry because he wanted to go to a film-shooting location in Sharada. The film was Gidanmu. With excitement, I told him that I wanted to go with him and watch it. He didn’t stop. I can still remember that it was the first day of our NCE 1 first semester examination. I felt on top of the world to find myself at a film shooting location and seeing film starts physically, this time not on the screen. I then asked him to introduce me to Director Saddam Sharada. He didn’t hesitate to introduce me to him and told him that I was his friend and that I was willing to join the film industry. He accepted me cheerfully and gave me his phone number. He also promised to invite me to film shooting locations. Saddam Sharada was the first film director to feature a movie titled Dillalin Mata.
Musty Show
At the same FCE Kano, I also met a guy called Musty Show. He was a film editor. Musty was the person who directed me to register with a film production company called Yalwa Film Production under the leadership of Musbahu Mai Shari’a. As one of the key people of the company, I was given special considerations in learning acting during our weekly meetings.
It was also the same Mustapha that introduced me to script writing and three producers to whom I wrote screenplays. There was a good relationship between him and Tijjani Abdullahi Asase, a popular actor, who was then producing A Duniya series. I talked to him and he met Asase and asked him to feature me in the series. Asase welcomed me with open hands and created some scenes for me in the popular series. This is a brief of how I got myself into the Kannywood film industry.
What part of the industry did you specialise in?
I partake in three things: screenplay, continuity, and acting, but I specialise more in screenplays.
In what year did you join the industry?
I joined in 2018
What inspired you to join?
It’s just that I wanted to render a contribution to enlightening and educating the people through entertainment.
