Zainab Hassan is 27-years-old and a Fulani by tribe from Suleja in Niger State. She attended her Primary and Secondary School education in Hadejia and Kogi State. Zainab lost her mother when she was still young and then relocated to Kogi to continue with her education. After finishing her secondary education in Kogi, she returned to Suleja in Niger State but her stepmother was giving her a tough time, maltreating her so badly because her mother was not alive. She found it difficult to cope with such treatments and later decided to relocate to Kaduna to stay with her sister from the same father and mother and used the new opportunity to further her education in Health Technology, Sciences and Medicals. This has earned her a job in Kaduna State Ministry of Health, but because she has the desire to be an actress, she discussed the matter with her friend who linked her up with Ibrahim Sodangi a stakeholder in Kannywood, and since then, she has become a regular face in the industry. So far she has featured in films like Wutar Kara, Hussaina da Hassana, Kufaina, in which she played the lead role, Auren mu dole, Salim and Zarafi.
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This beautiful Fulani actress was in Kano last week to feature in a film, Neptune Prime’s correspondent, Saleh Inuwa used the opportunity of meeting her for the first time and had an exclusive interview with her in which she talked about several issues including sexual harassment in Kannywood, her challenges, her features, difficulties, gossip, waywardness and the rest of them.
EXCERPTS OF THE INTERVIEW
Neptune Prime: If I am correct, your name is Zainab Hassan, and since we are meeting for the first time, let us start the interview by knowing a bit about you and how you joined Kannywood?
Zainab: Well like you rightly said, my name is Zainab Hassan from Suleja in Niger State. Actually, my father is a nomadic Fulani so he found himself in Suleja and settled down after being in almost all parts of the country. My mother is from Katsina, but her relations now live in Kogi State. I lost my mother when I was still young and later relocated to Kogi State to complete my primary and secondary education. I am 27-years-old, after my secondary education, I relocated to Kaduna to stay with my sister where I was opportune to further my education and later secure a job as a health official. While in Kaduna because I had a desire to join Kannywood, I discussed my plan with a female friend who later introduced me to Ibrahim Sodangi, Sodangi then asked me to give him a small-time whenever a new project comes up he will contact me. Actually, he later called me to come and feature in their new film “KUFAINA”, though it was my first film I did my best and the producer was highly impressed, I suffered in the film because it was shot during Azimi (fasting) and because I played the lead role, I was moving from one scene to the other and the climate too was so hot but all in all, since I made up my mind to be successful in the industry, the film was a huge success. So far, I featured in films like Hussaina da Hassana, Kufaina, Auren mu Dole, Salim, Zarafi, Wutar Kara all in all I featured in more than 10 successful films.
NP: You mean as beautiful as you are, after meeting Ibrahim Sodangi to feature you in a film couple with the fact that the industry has this tradition of asking new entrance for sex before role, have you face the same problem?
Zainab: The truth is I heard a lot about the industry before joining it, apart from the sex scandal, there were cases of Kannywood ladies being wayward, being cheap, and can do anything to get good roles, generally, there was this impression that the industry is morally corrupt. But quote me, up to this moment that you are talking to me, nobody has asked me to compromise my womanhood for money, for a lead role or anything for that matter. The people I met in the industry are as decent as those in other professions, the issue is being that we are always in public light, that is why people talked a lot about us. All we try to do is to educate the society and make them happy, most of the things you watch in our films are thinking of the producers, by the way, we are in a Muslim society, and we know that one day we will get married and have children that will watch our films so one cannot afford to be reckless with his life. You are close to the industry for a very long time and am sure you too can vouch for the industry, in all profession, you have bad eggs, the only thing is that there are those who don’t wish us well and they are always looking at us in negative light.
NP: Are you in any relationship and do you intend to stay in the industry after marriage?
Zainab: Well, as for relationships, I am 27-years-old and as a lady, I can be in a relationship but that is personal to me. As for marriage, marriage comes with time, it’s a destiny I cannot fix a time for myself when I will get married. One thing I know is that I want to stay here as long as possible and make a successful career. After marriage, I can still continue in the industry as a producer, director or script writer, I also want to feature my education and set up if possible an NGO to assist the less privileged in the society. One thing I am happy about is that there are people I used to watch in Kannywood that my prayer was to meet them face to face, but today, I am not only part of them, some of them are also interested in seeing me. We have lots of talented actors and actresses in Kannywood, basically, I am enjoying myself in the industry and I want those that wants to come in to feel free to come because most of the things they are hearing about the industry are not true.
NP: Many ladies from Kannywood had married in the past and within a short period of time, returned back to Kannywood, what I mean is that people don’t want to marry Kannywood ladies because of the fear that you people don’t make use of your marriages.
Zainab: I know you will ask this question, where is Muhibat Abdulsalam that married Hassan Giggs and the marriage is successful, Shuaibu Lilisco married his wife from Kannywood and for the past 17years and the marriage is successful. The issue is most of those that come to us for marriage are not sincere. Some will come with the intention of having a jolly ride with us and if they did not get us as cheap as they have been hearing then they will now bring up the issue of marriage after the marriage. They will be creating problems that will lead to divorce. Safiya Musa is happily married and many other others and nobody is talking about that. All people talk about is we don’t make use of our marriages, in our local courts, on a daily basis you will be hearing cases of broken marriages. Most of those involved are not from Kano and in Kannywood, we always operate like one family. If a lady wants to be useless, she can be useless even in her family home, these days of technology that a young man or lady can have access to all dirty films from their handsets, the world has changed as such, we should change with it. Let us learn to know that nothing comes easy, all that glitters are not gold. As for me, if I marry somebody that I love, I will definitely make use of it because even if l leave him as a woman, I will still marry somebody again so it’s better to stay with the devil you know than the one you never know.
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