By Suleyman Dunoma Abuja
Since Maryam Yahaya featured in the popular kannywood movie Mansoor, she has instantly become a celebrity.
Bilkisu shema was actually the one pencilled down to feature as the lead actress in Mansoor, but along the line when the producer of the film Ali Nuhu and other crew members assembled to start shooting the film, Bilkisu Shema was no where to be found.
Ali Nuhu personally called her severally but she was out of reach.
Then Ali Nuhu decided to give the lead role to Maryam Yahaya, though she was initially jittery by failing to read properly some portion of her script, but all the same, Ali Nuhu and other members of the crew guided her so well that at the end of the day, the film, Mansoor became an instant success.
Since then, she has featured in several films not less than Ten (10) along side Ali Nuhu either as his daughter, wife or supporting actress.
Because of the success of the film and how Maryam Yahaya became a celebrity instantly, Bilkisu Shema went to town with an unfounded allegations against Ali Nuhu, but when her campaign in the media against Ali Nuhu did not succeed, she decided to approach him and apologize him.
Since then, he has featured her in several movies, Mujadala, Karshen Mujadala, and host of others infact she now has tremendous respect for the king of Kannywood more than before.
Last week our correspondent spoke with Maryam Yahaya about her successes, career, marriage, her relationship with Ali Nuhu, and why she was involved in campaigning for President Muhammadu Buhari and Malam Nasiru El-Rufa’I to be President and governor respectively.
EXCERPTS OF THE INTERVIEW
Question : You are among hundreds of Kannywood actors and actresses that campaigned for Buhari and El-Rufa’I to secure second term as governor of Kaduna State. What was the reason for your involvement?
Answer… you see, I have a mentor in Kannywood in the person of Ali Nuhu, before he featured me in the film Mansoor, I was virtually unknown in Kannywood.
In fact, Bilkisu Shema was to play the lead role in Mansoor but when she did not turn up for shooting Ali decided to give the role, and it will take an actress only one film to featured along side Ali Nuhu for her to be a celebrit.
Since then, I featured in more than ten films with Ali Nuhu either as his daughter or wife.
And since he was supporting Buhari and El-Rufa’I definitely I will belong to that group.
Question: Is there anything hidden between you and Ali Nuhu?
Answer: I told you before that he is my mentor, if you see me in his house you will think that I am his blood daughter, this is one man that has been in Kannywood for closed to twenty years but nobody will tell you the bad side of him. He is like father to us.
In fact, most of successful young Kannywood producers one way or the other Ali Nuhu is responsible for their success. He will not mind to give you millions of Naira for you to produce a film and he can even play for you in the film, either free or with little fee. If you go to his house, you will see that most of us actors and actresses in Kannywood turned his house in to our own family compound.
He has a very understanding wife and two lovely children, they are so happy that Ali has no time for another woman apart from his wife, and this is very rare.
In fact, at times after shooting a film, I use to go to him and kneel down and apologize to him over my role in such films, the director or producer may demand that I disobey Ali Nuhu in the film which is very difficult for me because he is one person I respect so much.
Question: When are you getting married?
Answer … Well as you can see am still young and pretty I am contemplating doing many things in the nearest future, like marriage, going to school, being a producer, to continue acting or to get married and forget about the industry.
My parents are happy with what I am doing, in fact some people are saying that I am arrogant
, it is true because you men, you have this feeling that Kannywood ladies are cheap, some even call us prostitutes, as such I use to carry this posture of arrogant lady so that the society will not look down on me, but I am an easy going person and I always mind my business.
