3SP International Ltd presents, Ali Nuhu (Alhaji Nura Nabisi), Maryam Gidodo (Ummul Khairi), Sadiq Sani Sadiq (P.A), Hafzat Ibrahim (Zainab), Sadiq Ahmed (Abbas), Tanimu Akawu (Kawu), Rashida Musa (Hadiza), Hajya Zainab (Sakina). Screenplay, Hamishu Shehu; Editor, Moses N. Stephen; Camera, Ishma’il M. Ishma’il; Director, Abubakar S. Shehu; Producer, Bello Ibrahim. (C) 2016
Since 2007 when I started reviewing African films on this site, not once had I discussed ethnic language movie, even when it has a subtitle. Of course, subtitled movies bore the hell out of me. I can’t stand reading and at the same time watching the fleeting images and sounds on the screen. Better yet, my fear would have come from my disdain of wrongfully reviewing films because of my ignorance of the culture in question. I ventured to consider Kula Da Shi; naturally, I guess, I had just reviewed My Igbo And Hausa Bride, and that production little tickled my desire to check in on this one.
Kula Da Shi exploits emotional theme. At the appearance of Alhaji Nura Nabisi (Ali Nuhu) with a hunchback, at the meeting, I sensed the story arc would involve him against the rest of the society with a girl between, as in The Hunchback of Notre-Dame. The story takes a different turn. Instead, it takes The Beauty And The Beast story line, with an attitude too traditional and lovely.
Ummul Khairi (Maryam Gidodo) is an inheritor of a luxurious home and other riches, but her father on his deathbed had ordered that she married Abbas (Sadiq Ahmed), her first cousin. Abbas is a dope-head and is up to no good. He gets Ummul Khairi turned off, even as he and his father threatened her life. Ummul Khairi has no one to turn to, and she’s desperately in need of someone. One day, she and her friends had come from taking her photos from a studio and were walking along a neighborhood street when the wind blew her pictures and scattered them all over the dusty road.
Ummul Khairi’s photo flies and ends in the middle of Alhaji Nura Nabisi’s newspaper as he sits reading in the foyer of his mansion. A classic fairytale-like incident, though. Alhaji Nura Nabisi sends his PA (Sadiq Sani Sadiq) to find that girl anywhere she might be in the city (Cinderella?). Why? Ummul Khairi is Alhaji Nura Nabisi’s wife incarnate. She is his late wife who had died in a tragic plane crash and therefore he must marry her.
PA finds Ummul Khairi’s phone number and gives to Nabisi.
From here on, the drama takes classic mode: Alhaji has the distinctive voice that enthralls, enchants, captivates and thrills Ummul, and mends her broken heart. He recites poems to Ummul and sings to her over his telephone. But Ummul wants to meet this canary bird, that often sings her to sleep; she intends to meet the sage who recites to her those love poems, those suiting words of wisdom that mends her heart. Alhaji breaks promise after promise to meet with her. He has cold feet after cold feet every time he’s to meet with Ummul. He’s ashamed of his hunchback.
Alhaji is embarrassed because of his hunchback and assumes that his condition will not let beautiful Ummul fall in love with him. He refuses to face Ummul and her friends when they come over to his mansion for a visit. This one time, he panics, sweats and comes down half way the stairs and stops there. This scene resembles the scene when Quasimodo (The Hunchback Of Notre Dame), is crawling down the stairs in the tower of Notre-dame. Nabisi couldn’t face Ummul and her friends. At one point in the story, he gives off Ummul to his PA to marry her and promises to sponsor the wedding and their well-being.
However, during a birthday bash of Ummul and to which PA plays a part, Alhaji Nabisi appears wishing Ummul happy birthday. The voice of the hunchback in front of Ummul brings the same mysterious voice she has heard numerous times, and she faints to the ground. When she comes to in the hospital, Alhaji and PA are present. Alhaji Nura Nabisi and Ummul Khairi eventually get married.
Kula Da Shi is a life story told in the form of a fairytale, same as in The Beauty and the Beast. The idea of a picture mysteriously flying and landing in front of a future admirer is nothing but a fairytale- like storytelling. The most suitable market for this movie will be a cartoon character production for children viewing. It will do well. But for the average adult, this isn’t a good sell. Watching this movie, I imagined if the production would have thought of, animation, something in the line of The Lion King. With the songs and all, it would have been marvelous!
Since this film draws me to take a closer look at ethnic movies and themes, it also gets me to check in on a producer, and the male lead Actor in Kula Da Shi, Ali Nuhu. I have reviewed most of Nollywood movies, most directed and produced by Ali Nuhu, Never have I paid particular attention to this maverick because the Nigerian film industry provides actors, and directors by a dime a dozen, and most don’t do recommendable works, albeit, the good ones get lost in the hay.
Ali Nuhu, the Maiduguri, Nigerian born film guru, popularly called King of Kannywood besides Kula Da Shi has appeared in hundreds of Hausa language movies. He’s an actor, producer, director, screenwriter, dancer and a man with a hair-raising singing voice as we witness in this film.
My discovery of Ali Nuhu let me delve a little in his entertainment endeavors because I found him to be interesting. Very. From 2005, Ali won his first Arewa Films Award, for Best Actor. Up to 2017, he has won Northern Nigeria Peace Awards, for Northern Nigerian Actor Of The Year. Ali Nuhu, except for two Nominations, in both 2013 (9th Africa Movie Academy Awards-Supporting Role category for Blood And Henna), and 2016 Kannywood Awards (Best Actor-Nabisi), he has won and brought home to Kano, thirty awards.
I have two wishes for this beautiful story: to be animated and translate the lyrics of the love songs to English.