EXCLUSIVE: How my parents’ support made me achieve greatness in Kannywood — Ali Rabi’u Ali

Renowned Kannywood actor Ali Rabi’u Ali, popularly known as Daddy, shared that his journey into the film industry was stemmed from the support he received from his parents, who frequently helped him with his scripts.

In a recorded programme with SolaceBase TV on Friday, aired during the weekend, Daddy, who has been part of the Kannywood Film Industry for over twenty years, said he is one of the oldest and most well-known actors in the industry, having featured in over five hundred films. Among these, “Hayaki” and “Umarni” are his favorites.

Daddy reminisced about his mother’s influence. According to him, she was well-read and actively involved in drama during her secondary school days. Her involvement in drama played a crucial role in nurturing Daddy’s passion for acting.

One of the films Daddy cherishes the most is “Umarni,” for which his mother wrote the script. He initially got the idea from somewhere and, after recounting it to his mother, she suggested the best way to write the script. 

“The strongest reason for my being in the film industry is my mother. My father also gave insightful contributions on how the storyline should be built. I finally wrote the script with the help of my parents,” Daddy said.

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For another film, also titled “Umarni,” his mother wrote the entire script while she was in Saudi Arabia and sent it to him via email. The film featured notable actors like Sadik Sani Sadik and Jamila Nagudu.

‘I was born an actor’

Daddy nurtured his passion for acting from a young age. He used to gather his younger siblings and friends to act out radio dramas, often recording them on cassette. He acted as the director, giving instructions on how to act.

Upon recognising his talent, people began to invite him to perform at events, including Maulud and other social gatherings.

“Some people who knew about my activities later expressed concern that I should join the film industry. But I didn’t like it. However, people like Auwalu Leader insisted I should join as an actor,” Daddy recalled.

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A local film organisation, Dala Traditional Drama, requested that he join them instead of any other film company. Daddy became prominent quickly, contributing story ideas and acting in weekly dramas.

“I provided them with an idea overload, leaving them wondering which one to take first. Seeing that, the director subsequently relied on me for stories, asking no one but me,” he stated.

Daddy saved money from his salary to hire a camera for their productions, spending almost N800 at the time. His first film was “Auren Nesa.”

He was later invited by Sarauniya Company, where he was featured in “Zarge.” This led to another opportunity with Fatima Production, where he worked as a cameraman and was featured in one scene of “Haka Allah Ya So.”

“The director was wowed by my abilities and promised to feature me as an actor in his next movie. That was how it all started. Later on, I was featured in the film ‘Hayaki,’ which is one of the films I love and that made me popular,” Daddy concluded.