Kogi-born but Kano bred Nollywood actress, Halima Abubakar, needs little or no introduction because she’s a factor in the entertainment industry in her own right. DGossip247.com engages the producer of Mistresses, in this interesting interview
What was 2015 like for you as an actress?
As an actress, I did the ones that I could and the rest is left for God and for this New Year. I am humbled to have seen the year to the end and typical of me, whatever I was able to do last year was what God wanted me to do and the rest, there is always time for me to cover that. I am grateful I was able to do things I did last year so I am grateful. As for the New Year, let’s see how it goes and let’s be optimistic that we would have a great and fulfilling year.
Actors shoot many movies at once. How do you transition from one character to the other?
You just have to drop the character because the scripts are different, that is number one. Secondly, the actors are different so you should know you have to drop it. For me, it’s not a problem getting into any character because I have been doing this for a long time and a professional should know how to switch. Yes, it’s not good to mix jobs and all that but when there is no time and they are all insisting on using you, you have to bring your ‘A game’.
You have a job in the offing that preaches against emotional torture, rape and abuse. What inspired it?
It’s a personal and sensitive story and it’s a true life story, even my first movie was a true life story. I think I am going to focus more energy on creating awareness on abuse…even in my book…awareness of domestic violence and mental torture. We need to lend a helping hand where necessary because so many people are only hiding behind makeup and suits while they go through so much in silence. You hear somebody took his own life and all that but that is not the kind of story we want to be hearing. So that is why I do true life stories.
What actually was your mission when you came into the industry?
I just felt I and Liz Benson have a close resemblance and when I told my mum, she said it was not very much but maybe a little. All the while, she did not know I had acting at the back of my mind but basically I just wanted to express myself. I thought it was going to be a temporary thing and I never knew it would get to this level; from shooting to a producer. Of course, it was not easy getting to where I am today because I had to cross so many bridges. At a time, I had to leave for about five years because there were too many negative people trying to pull you down while you are trying to help them. But God prevailed so I am grateful to God.
What would you want to be known for in the nearest future?
I like the job I do as a humanitarian, Alhamududilahi, glory be to God, through whom I have been able to touch lives tremendously. I did not see any special thing in it because if you are from the North, it’s a normal thing to give out clothes, food and money. I did not know people noticed, and over the years, I have received so many honours and I am glad I never backed out. At a time, I was broke and I was worried because I had school fees to pay and other needs of people but at the end of the day, I was able to do 80 per cent. I still took care of these issues and it was only God who knows how it happened.
Actresses tend to make it bigger than the males. What do you think is responsible?
Number one, destinies are different. Number two, of course, they are women, they get favour and number three, I wouldn’t say they are more hardworking, but they are more competitive. Men are not competitive among themselves. I don’t see Dangote, trying to compete with the president of our country because they are on different lanes. Basically, like I said, some ladies get help, favour and some are from privileged homes and come with their money. I am not going to put them down because some are hardworking and I am just going to say we all have priorities. If you get somebody who helps you once in a while, you will not reject it, let’s be realistic.
And women are the weaker sex, like they say, so they tend to have more support than the men. I am not going to bring them down because if I see support I will take it too but I need to be sure that support comes with no strings attached. I would use it to help others too, not just myself. I am not going to put anybody down, I am a woman too and some point in time, people have said things about me and how I make money.
This is just the truth, I have been lucky to have dated maybe one or two people who are comfortable and were generous to me. I saved the money and that was how I was able to produce my first movie in the first place. There is no lie about it, I was in a relationship with somebody who was comfortable, who had means to make me not act anymore but because I wanted to act, that is why he supported that.
That is my own story, I don’t know about others. I did not come out to say I must drive Range Rover, I must drive this or that because in my life, I believe everything comes with time and I don’t push it if it does not come. Cars are something that do not have values, you don’t even sell them the way you buy them so I don’t have that strength to go dirty and do crazy things in order to buy Range Rover.
You seem to be very comfortable as a single lady.
What is the essence of marriage? To multiply, to have kids… companionship. I am from a Muslim background and I am even meant to have been married at 16, 17 or 18, not to talk of now I am 30 and I am still single. I am single now, I broke up with my ex. I am not in a hurry to start jumping into any other relationship because number one, it’s not easy to be in a relationship. When you do, people you don’t know from every angle suddenly have gossips about you. They suddenly call this person you are dating if they have means of communicating with him and tell him lies and I am like why don’t you ask me instead of listening and acting on these things.
Then it’s too late because you people are fighting and I don’t have the strength for fighting and making up. Instead of that, why don’t you respect each other and give each other breathing space and if it’s meant to be, you people will come together with better understanding.
But the problem we have in relationships generally is lack of trust. You can tell somebody I love, you can show the person and the person will not believe it because they will be like, are you acting? They always think I am acting when I am in a relationship but why would I be acting with emotions?
So it takes a strong person to want to be with you and forget every other person. I have experienced love and I had fun experiencing it but it was not meant to be, that is why we broke up. So now I am studying, watching, reading and observing so that my next relationship, hopefully that will be last and if it’s not last, I will know how to handle it because it’s not easy especially when you are in the limelight. It’s just a lot of people who know you who do not just want you to grow that want to put you down.
Basically, I just believe marriage is not a do or die affair. It’s worse when you are in the limelight, I mean when you put on a ring on social media, they say Halima is engaged, when you take it off, they say the relationship is broken. Sometimes I wonder if I can’t have my peace to post whatever I like without anyone saying Halima just ‘instagramed’ how she wants her future husband to be. People are just in a haste to ship you off but they are not even going through good marriage.
So, why should I pretend and stay in a relationship that is abusive rather than channel my energy into what is productive? Marriage is not something anybody should push somebody into because these days, people are not just ready to get married, that is how I feel. The men and women are not ready because the divorce rate, if you check it, was almost 80 per cent more in 2015, than it was in 2011. That’s why I don’t want to get married and get divorced, I would rather wait for mine and get a good one.
