Sani Sule Katsina, is the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Rite Time multi-media limited and the Secretary-General of Arewa Filmmakers Association of Nigeria. After his primary and secondary education, he attended Katsina Polytechnic before joining the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) where he served in various capacities.
He later left the services of NDLEA and established his own clearing and forwarding agency in Lagos. Gradually he developed an interest in the entertainment industry where he used to invite artists from Kannywood to Lagos to produce films for him.
Impressed by the turnover he was getting from film production, he decided about 15 years ago to fully relocate to Kano. While in Kano, he set up a multi-media limited liability company, Rite Time Multi-media and produced his first film Intaha that featured Ali Nuhu, Sadiya Gyale Momoh and a host of others. He was the executive producer while Ishaq Sidi Ishaq directed the film.
The Rite Time Chairman told Neptune Prime’s correspondent, Saleh Inuwa in an exclusive interview that it is only in Nigeria that the government has neglected the film industry. In spite of the vast potentials and huge capital in it, directly or indirectly over 10 million people he noted are depending on Kannywood for their livelihood. Today Hausa films circulate in most countries all over the world.
“But let me tell you that things are changing. Before now all you need to do is to produce your film and take it to Kofar Wambai for marketers to sell that is all, but as you can see these days this method is no longer fashionable. Personally, as a major player in Kannywood, I have decided to change the face of the industry. Today my company is into content development for television houses, we also produce movie series and buy time in the media to air them. That is why I set up a world-class standard studio, on zoo road where we will be inviting personalities for our programmes and also use the studio for most of our activities.
Some years back, his company he noted organized an award ceremony for people who contributed to the development of the Hausa film industry. Personalities like Rabe Muttaka Darma who has been using his money to sponsor films that will highlight problems confronting society was also honoured. Best actors, supporting actors, best actresses, supporting actresses, media houses, print and electronic were also honoured, he explained.
“Remember you visited my office on zoo road last time and today see where we are going and see my studio on Zoo road after Dangi Pharmacy, we have grown so fast. I engaged the services of some of the best hands in the industry it is no longer only film production but we are into content, and television variety shows, series production, marketing and human development.
But Alhaji Sani Sule Katsina is not happy with the way society is perceiving them and their businesses. People according to him look at them as irresponsible people or group of people who are into filmmaking only to sexually harass innocent female members.
This he noted is far from the reality on the ground, adding that in all profession, there are bad and good people. Sexual harassments are all over in universities, banks, media security agencies, school and even among religious people, people should stop crucifying them for what is almost global.
On the appointment of Ismail Na Abba Afakallah a Kannywood member as the Executive Director of Kano State films and censorship board, he described the exercise as one of the best things that ever happened to the industry. Because for Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje to appoint one of them to head the censorship board he will use this opportunity to develop and sanitize Kannywood.
You asked me earlier if I will allow my children to participate in Kannywood, why not? If I can pay the children of others to act for me why can’t I allow my own children? You see let’s talk about people complaining about the standard of some of our films, for God sake, tell me when somebody sells his properties or use all his retirement benefits to invest in a movie then you have cases of piracy hitting him you have downloaders stealing his work yet you will not allow him to produce films that the society wants, why? To me the solution is government should sponsor 10-20 standard films and push them into the market, then let anybody who wants to be into the business, also produce films that is as standard as that of the government, this will check the flooding of the market with sub-standard films, he advised.
Apart from the award his company Rite Time Multi-media organized which even the former Governor of Kano State, Dr Rabiu Kwakwaso was honoured, they also honoured Arewa 24 Television Guaranty, Trust Bank, Bank of Industry, Rabe, Muttaka Drama, Freedom Radio, Film Magazine and Leadership Hausa. He now concentrates most on content development and also produced series drama like Iyayan Baiwa, Dare Biyu, Ramadan Kareem and others.
Similarly, he has advised Hausa producers to emulate the other filmmakers, like Bollywood, Nollywood and Hollywood by going back to the box office system which means, when you produce your film you can premiere it in Cinema houses and theatres before taking it to the open market. By so doing you will recover your money and even make a fantastic profit before going to the open market, now whatever pirates may do you will still smile to the banks and the industry will continue to grow and investors will continue to come into Kannywood to invest.
The world is changing, before it was VHS, later, DVD, now CD and Satellite, soon it will be television all the way. Again let me emphasize on the issue of sex for a role or sexual harassments, do you know that when we go on location as an actress or actor, behind the camera all other members of the crew are watching. It is just that the camera will not focus on them, then tell me how you can misbehave, when you lodge in hotels all the crew will be there tell me how you will sneak to an actress room. But if the argument is that one can do it in his leisure time, let me tell you, you don’t combine business with pleasure. Anybody that tries that is doom for failure, God will not bless your business, so the society will soon get the best from Rite-Time-Multi-Media, the sky is our limit
Follow the Neptune Prime channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va74ZvU2v1IqKByXoX3d
Do you have breaking news, interview request, opinion, suggestion, or want your event covered? Email us at neptuneprime2233@gmail.com
