By DESMOND MGBOH
A highly dramatic and intriguing Hausa movie, Mai Martaba, premiered last weekend in Kano and in many film houses across the North. The high profile event was graced by Kannywood actors, media practitioners, academics and movie enthusiasts. The film itself was top-notch, adjudged as a great addition to the movie industry in Nigeria
Subtitled in English for a wider audience and reach, Mai Martaba (“Your Highness” in English) not only tells a story of intrigues, greed, power, rivalry, villainy, and injustice in the kingdom of Jailaba, but also highlights the usually unspoken desperate strife and tension that rage among princes in the contest for succession to the throne in many a northern kingdom.
Filmed in Daura, Katsina State, with hundreds of casts, the film is a story of an ancient kingdom beset with recurring raids from outside and shaky peace within. The unsavoury situation climaxed with the rumour of the Emir’s (King Sanaya) intention to anoint his own daughter, Princess Sangaya to succeed him. The rumour was eventually confirmed by the Emir himself, a confirmation which raised the bar of the contest and drew the blood of all potential successors. This flared up emotion, anger, and tension and laid the ground for intriguing plots to unseat the Emir, all of which worked together to facilitate the tragic death of the Emir.
The main gist of the film, however, has just begun. Did the Emir die of natural causes or was he murdered by an assailant? If so, why? And by who? Was it by one of his beloved wives? Who was behind the dastardly act? What is the role of the princes of the ruling clans in the death of the Emir? Was there support from outside? Answers to these questions and more lead to the denouement of the well-crafted film, but certainly not the end of the film.
At the Red Carpet, where the post-view analysis and commentaries took place, the debate that raged among viewers was evidence that the film was a remarkable success.
Hardly any two critiques towed the same line of thought. Some felt that the powerful Emir was right to have appointed his daughter to succeed him despite an oath he entered into with his predecessor to appoint his predecessor’s son when the time came. Others disagreed and accused the Emir of greed and selfishness, saying that his self-interest drove him to ignore his succession pledge.
In any case, must he appoint a woman against the norms of the civilized Hausa culture where the role of women is restricted and does not include lording it over the male folks? So many questions! But that is the beauty of art as it is susceptible to various interpretations.
Kolawole Omoniyi, the Manager, News, Cool FM, appreciated the film, Mai Martaba in an interview with Daily Sun, saying that, “the sound quality, the picture, the narration and the acting are nothing but great”.
Lauding the rich cultural heritage of the region depicted by the film, Omoniyi added: “The rich landscape, the springing horses, the battlefields, the pre-colonial huts, the dress styles and linens, the lifestyles of yesterday, the artifacts of northern traditional monarchical system abound in the film are all additional takeaways for any viewer who wants something else from the usual faces and film styles in the industry.”
John Adajo, a postgraduate student of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, said, for him, what he found intriguing was the timing of the film.
“Premiering it today in Kano is significant to the extent that it echoes the reality of the struggle for emirate succession that is resonating in the State. The storyline and characters may be slightly different from what is happening in real life, but this is why we say that drama is a reflection of real-life experience.”
In an interview at the end of the event, the producer/director of the film, Daniel Aboki said producing and directing Mai Martaba was a challenging project, explaining that he and his team spent two and a half years on the pre-production and post-production of the film.
The movie, he further informed, featured Kannywood actor Adam A. Zango as the only popular artist from Kannymood in the cast, pointing out that the emphasis was on giving opportunities to new actors.
“The only star actor in Mai Martaba happens to be Adam A. Zango because, initially, I wanted 100 percent, new actors. So all the actors in Mai Martaba, I built them because I wanted to tell a story on the strength of the story, not on the faces of celebrities,” Aboki said, noting that such a move would expand the value chain of the creative industry, particularly in the northern part of Nigeria
Aboki identified funding as one of his major challenges in the course of the production, saying that “Mai Martaba is arguably the most expensive Hausa movie.”
“Over N25 million was spent on high-tech equipment alone because we had to bring most of it from Lagos, let alone the pre-, during-, and post-production costs,” he surmised.
