By Aliyu Askira
Kano
Abdul Umar Shareef is the lead actor in the recently released blockbuster kannywood movie ‘Jininjikina’. Shareef is by far not a neophite in the industry for having been around for over a decade after trying his hands in various endeavours. Abdul Shareef told Blueprint in this exclusive interview weekend in their Kaduna Studio that the love he showcased to Rahama is a stage love that could always be misunderstood to be real, obviously because both Rahama and Ali Nuhu, his contender, had assisted him to achieve so.Shareef is a 29 years old kannywood actor who hailed from Yobe State and is Babur by tribe. He is married and has one wife two children. He did his Nursery, Primary and Junior Secondary
School in Rigasa, before moving to senior Secondary School, Bwari, Abuja, of course he also had intensive Islamiyya training.
All along, Shareef’s ambition was to be a Film Director and when this did not materialize, obviously because most of the stakeholders he approached never took him seriously, he then ventured into petty trading at one time and an artisan at Kaduna Panteka, and then managing a block industry in Rigasa. One day a Kannywood A-grade actor and producer Tijjani Asase called him and gave him of a script of a film he intends to produce but few days to its take off, the first Kaduna bomb blast occurred and that interrupted the production.
Abdul noted that when he read the script of the Tijjani Asase’s film he had to embark on spiritual cleaning because the role given to him was more
than challenging as he was to be engaged according to him in a heated argument in the film with Kannywood Mafia, a multiple award winner, director
As well as God-father of his, Ali Nuhu. He said: “To argue with Ali Nuhu I couldn’t belief it”
His final breakthrough came when he appeared in the blockbuster and the most popular film now on film vendors stand ‘Jininjikina’ in it there are
Zaharaddeen Sani Fatima Washa, Rabiu Rikadawa,Abdul Shareef as the lead actor. With the Kannywood’s new discovery, the young beautiful Rahama Sadau as his heart-throb and Ali Nuhu who featured in the film Shareef’s rival and a successful businessman who ran into Rahama Sadau an insisted she must be his wife not minding her passionate relationship with Abdul Shareef. Abdul Shareef said he will remain grateful to Ali Nuhu for developing and noturing the talent in him.
Above all, Ali Nuhu allowed him to defeat him in their romance with Rahama even though Rahama who has just finished from Kadpoly as National Diploma student too gave him solid love and trust to the extent that she threw away her letter of scholarship to the University when her lover did not secure sponsorship. His words: “Rahama impressed me tremendously in the film, when she inspite of all odds left for the university leaving me behind, she kept my love alive specially when I pretended to my family that I will travel to Sokoto but I did not go anywhere I ended up in the University Rahama is studying, but disguised myself and pretended that I never knew her before man and Adam.”
Rahama Sadau who hit the limelight so fast because of her regular appearance in hit movies that also featured Ali Nuhu, Rahama herself once told Blueprint that she cannot stop admiring him as she described Abdul Shareef as simple, friendly, beautiful sociable and down to earth actor.
“When my wife watched Jininjikina one and two she jokingly told me that though most of the close to 20 films I played lover-boy roles can be interpreted as stage love the recent one with Rahama according to her is real, adding that she again asked me jokingly, ‘is she the one to be my second’?” Shareef mooted.
By nature Shareef is not a talkative person but when he was asked how did he cultivate the existing friendly relatioship with his stage lover, Rahama, he said: “I don’t talk too much, in fact a times it was Rahama that used to crack jokes to him but there was nothing attached to what transpired between us in the film.” This he explained was the imagination of the script writer and the Director of the film.
On if Rahama actually mean business and approach him to marry her, Abdul Shareef said very soon they will go into a production of a new film and he will be cast with Rahama Sadau as his heart-throb but does not see that happening in real life situation.
“
I am grateful to God, my parents, Ali Nuhu, Tijjani Asase, my brothers, especially Umar, a popular singer and composer of the popular song ‘Jininjikina’ for the role they played in my life. Ali Nuhu is an exceptional human being, very supportive and humble, may Allah give him long life and good health” he told Blueprint.
On whether he will allow his children to act film the answer is yes, but cautioned that he is deeply
religious and does not tolerate indecency it is their policy that any girl visiting their office must be popularly dressed.
Finally, according to Shareef, his aims are higher to attain Ali Nuhu or Adam .A. Zango’s status in Kannywood. Ali Nuhu is his favourite actor. As for actresses, he paused and said Rahama Sadau but quickly added that Rahama is a decent, actress very intelligent, and friendly no more no less.
