Which Commands The Market?: Kannywood Or Bollywood?

The entertainment industry in the North especially films revolves around Bollywood and Kannywood. This is because of the cosmopolitan nature of the region. In this piece by AKILU ABDULLAHI in Kano, he looks at the influence of these two institutions in the northern parts of Nigeria.

The taxi driver pressed on the stereo system of the car and filled the ears of passengers with soft melody of Indian music, clearly displaying his flair for Bollywood.

Aliyu Ladan, the driver, said he preferred Bollywood to Kannywood films after a careful observation of their modes of screenplay.

The driver, in his mid 30s says, " I have observed several factors like acting, style, costume, dressing and songs and realised that Kannywood is no match for Bollywood."

What angered him against Kannywood is that according to him, "Their settings, styles, songs and the whole cast is just a copy of Bollywood in essence."

He expected Kannywood to evolve its own style independent of Indian, Chinese or American styles advising that, "Kannywood should come with its own modus operandi in accordance with our culture and tradition."

For 52-year old Sani Durumin Saudi (alias King Kong), Bollywood is most favoured by the elderly while Kennywood is the pastime of the younger generation.

"In our young days, we went to cinema to watch mostly Indian films. The cinemas were Orion. Plaza, Palace, Eldorado and Sheila. All these cinemas competed in showing Indian films. So, I am sure those in my age group are inclined toward Bollywood."

He lamented that there were considerable differences in then and today's films because, "In our days the films were meant to convey messages, teach lessons,, morals, obedience, tolerance and eventually warn against danger though adventurous.

Mustapha Fagge, an image maker frowned at the acting styles of Kannywood as not fully composed, but lacking in diversity and at times, totally off the mark.

Kannywood nearly have the same theme: love and marriage."

Another woman activist Hajiya Larai Ado also believed that Kannywood still had a long way to go. According to her, "The problem is with the setting. I was in the USA when we heard that our people had begun producing films and I sent for some, but while viewing it, we saw the actors singing in a field of flowers quite alien to our culture. We never watched since then."....