I started behaving like a queen after acting as Queen Amina –Late Hauwa Maina

Hauwa Maina, the famous Kannywood actress who died recently in Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital was Babur by Tribe from Biu Local Government Area of Borno state though, she was born and brought up in Kaduna state. Late Hauwa was a National Diploma holder in Management from Kaduna Polytechnic. She was married twice and had two children. ALIYU ASKIRA had this interview with the deceased Kannywood star recently on her way to Abuja for a medical check-up. She spoke on her career, marriage, challenges, as well as her roles in films like “Bayajidda and Queen Amina.”

What is your background and how did you join Kannywood?

My name is Hauwa Maina, I am Babur from Biu LGA of Borno state, I married twice and have a daughter that has graduated from a university in Ghana, I am really proud of her. I also have a son.
Honestly, I have been acting for over 20 years and I joined the Industry through Salisu Salinga. I am sure you know Salisu of DITV, who was producing the programme, Gari ya Waye. He later left and joined Liberty Television.

One day he came to my house and we were chatting, he received a call and quickly stood up and told me he will be going to location, I asked him going to location to do what? He said he is a producer and actor and he will be going to location to feature in a film that they were shooting, and he asked me if I am interested in acting, then he left.

Later, he came back and told me that if I am interested in acting, I can follow him immediately to feature in a film that they were shooting and that’s how I started acting.

You recently featured in a movie, Hangen Nesa, as wife of Ibrahim Mandawari, at some point you concentrated on talking about life after death. What was the secret behind your Life after death sermon?

Honestly, I can’t tell myself but since my husband in the film Ibrahim Mandawari was contesting for a public office, I felt it is proper to talk about trust and if one betrays the trust of his people, there will be a day that he will stand before God and account for his actions, that was actually what I meant.

After you featured in Queen Amina people say you started behaving like a princess and became arrogant and pompous like a Queen. How would you respond to this?

The movie Queen Amina opened many doors of opportunities for me and my artist fee too became higher because I became a house hold name, I love that film very passionately, it is my favourite film even though I also love the film Bayajidda which is a historical film.

There was a child who watched Bayajidda and was able to pass his exams because he watched it alongside his father who later educated him more about the film, I never even heard of the auditioning of the film Queen Amina until one Garba Adamu called me and asked me to join them for auditioning, but I thought of not going because somebody was already playing the role of Queen Amina, when I joined them, I was given the role of a slave girl and I did it perfectly.

One day after, I was called to act the role of Queen Amina’s sister it went on but on the last day, the man in charge of the production, one Alhaji Abdulkareem, came and said the shooting will continue in Kano and I told myself that I must grab the role of Queen Amina but I must learn Horse Riding to be able to play the role.

Then I went out learning how to ride a horse and when we reach Kano, I was actually asked to play the role of Queen Amina since then, honestly, I starting feeling like a princess but I am not pompous or arrogant.

When you joined Kannywood, your mother was said to have opposed you. Is this true?

Yes, it is true. My mother seriously objected to my joining Kannywood for acting because of what people are saying about actors and actresses, that they are cheap, that they are prostitutes, that they are school drop-outs. That when they get married, they hardly stay in marriage, that they take drugs and alcohol and all sort of thing.

One day, I sent one of my films to my father to watch and after watching it, he told me that he has seen nothing wrong in acting and he asked me to continue. In fact, whenever I am starting a new film, my children will read the script and I would argue with them over it because I don’t want to disappoint them.

There is a difference between acting in Nollywood and Kannywood. In Kannywood, we always ensure that we do not do what will be against our religion or culture, however, in Nollywood, they kiss, hug, and do all manner of obscene roles. Some of them from their actions can easily act adult films.

Trust me, no actress in Kannywood can act nude or adult film even for a N100 million, one cannot even think of doing that, even the so-called sex for roles, I used to advice my female colleagues not to be cheap because of money.

There is no secret in Kannywood, if a producer or director sleeps with you, he will spread the rumour and everybody will hear. Though it has never happened to me, I don’t want those into this practice to continue, after all I am a producer and director, if you don’t give me roles, I can produce my own films and use actors and actresses of my choice.

Tell us about the film you are working on, Yamtarabola, I understand is about a great king in Biu kingdom?

Yes, it is a very ambitious project I am working on, about the life and times of a great king of Biu, in Borno state. Actually, we were told that Late Yamtarabola did not die a natural death. According to sources, he drowned with his horse. In Hausa “Bai mutu ba ya nutse da dokin sa.”

So, I went to Biu and talk to our elders and they told me details about the Late king and I have been writing the script for a very long time but I will soon start shooting into a film, so that it will help to expose the great culture of Biu people.

What would you like to be remembered for?

I am not actually happy with that question because I am still young and not thinking of death, but all the same I want to be remembered as Hauwa Maina from Biu that was born in Kaduna as a Muslim and worshiped God to the best of my knowledge and I hope to make it to paradise whenever I answer the call of my ancestors.

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