Encomium
‘I didn’t marry in the United States’
On Sunday, August 3, 2014, ENCOMIUM Weekly was at Halima Abubakar’s Maryland, Lagos residence where we had an exclusive interview with the multiple-award winning actress on a number of issues, including her latest movie, Chocolate Pinging Salon where she parades a fake buttocks, alleged marriage in the US and much more..
It’s long we had a chat, let’s know what is new about your career and life?
I have two movies right now in the market. One of them is entitled, Chocolate Pinging Salon. It’s a comedy. And it’s one of the best selling movies at the moment. It’s produced by Uche Nansi. Myself, Queen Nwokoye, Eniola Badmus are the lead actresses. It’s a comedy film but with a message.
Can you tell us a little about the movie?
It’s about girls wearing pad, parading fake bum bum. A kind of fitted pad worn by girls nowadays to deceive men. Suddenly, you see somebody without pronounced bum bum last week and this week with a big bum. Just from nowhere you see them with fantastic shapes. And you men believe in what you see. It’s a kind of scam that some men have eventually fallen victims.
It’s a real life thing that’s happening right now and we just have to make a movie out of it. It’s very fantastic. The CD is selling fast now. And of course, Girls of Honour is another movie that just came out. Strippers in Love that I also shot a while ago is also in the market at the moment.
I am glad now that they don’t waste time any longer to bring out movies.
What of your personal movie, haven’t you shot any this year?
Right now, I have not gone to location to record any personal movie. The reason is that I have not had the time. When I had the time, I had little fever which required me resting for a bit. But I know in the nearest future, something good will definitely come out from my stable.
But for now, I am concentrating on the music aspect. I am trying to bring out an artiste, Young Easy. We’re trying to promote his single at the moment.
Do you have a record label of your own?
Yes, Mode House Entertainment. That’s my company’s name.
When was it launched?
It was launched during my movie premiere in April last year. But I actually unveiled my artiste this year. So, my energy and time are divided now because I am trying to put in place another new thing. No money yet but I believe it will come at the right time. I believe by building or grooming a new talent, it’s not a waste of time and resources but a way of giving back to the society that made me.
What happened to your second movie, The Bully? Why haven’t you completed it all this while?
A lot of things are delaying it but everything concerning that is personal. I am still trying to get the right cast for the concluding part of the movie. I have not actually talked about it anymore because I just want to do it. The Bully is not something I want to discuss again. It will come out when it will.
How much have you spent on it?
I can’t say this is the specific amount that has gone into the movie but let me just say I am back at writing few things because I have few days to myself now that I am in the house.
I am just trying to use the opportunity to put some things together in writing concerning the movie. Right now, people should just get their fingers crossed. I don’t want to say so much about it.
Lest we forget, what character did you interpret in Chocolate Pinging Salon?
I played one of the lead roles. I was an Igbo girl in the film. I wanted to be Nicki Minaj, so bad a girl in the movie. But my dad was Igbo who married a Hausa woman. Then, I got to speak Hausa and English in the movie. But my other family members were all Igbo that grew in the village.
Typically, they were touts and notorious. In the course of trying to imitate other people, there was a lot of intrigues, and transformation. Even, if it’s a comedy, it has a lot of messages that are real. As you watch, you laugh and also learn one or two things about life.
Don’t you think playing that kind of role may suggest that you also parade fake ass?
I believe some people know my shape. So, there is no need elaborating that.
That means you don’t fake your bum as you acted in Chocolate Pinging Salon?
I have always been original and at least as honest as I can be. I don’t want to deceive people.
There has been a long standing question that you’re yet to give us a definite answer (cuts in)…
What is the issue?
The issue of when you’re going to settle down?
Will I ask a man to marry me? Is it not when you see the man that you want to settle down with that you can decide to marry? You can’t just settle down with anybody because you need to marry. I don’t want to go into marriage and rush out of it. There is a lot of mistrust and we also have so many irresponsible men so to speak. There are lots and lots of liars among men out there. And if they meet a girl that really loves them, they won’t know because they are used to lying.
So, they think any they meet is also a lair like them. Or if you omit one magnificent information about yourself, if they now get to know later in a negative way from another person, it’s another mistrust. The day you even say the truth and nothing but absolute truth, they won’t believe you omitted something before it came out, and it’s not like it’s a dangerous thing. But just because you forgot to include the information when you’re chatting with them, it will now become a big problem. A sort of mistrust will develop from there. And when a man is monitoring you, definitely, there is no trust in that relationship, and nobody will want to be in a marriage where there is no trust.
The relationship would just work only when the partners trust each other. We just pray we meet the right person. I mean, all of us who are yet to marry. You may meet someone you so much love and he is not convinced you love him because you’re an actress. And now, because you’re an actress, you’re not responsible. And I keep saying, does it mean because you’re who you are you’re not responsible? Or you think every girl on the street will behave the same way like the other person? I don’t know. There are so much hypocrites in relationships. There are too many people that like to give fake information. And it’s unfortunate that some of us have seen people who tried as much as they could to ruin other people’s relationships. But the truth is when a man loves you, he loves you. A man who is ready to quit because of one rumour or the other is never in love with you. So, you can’t force love. How long can you do that? I mean, especially if you are a loyal woman because I know a lot of women who are responsible, who are faithful to their partners, they are faithful and I keep saying is it because you’re not faithful? Is it because you as a man is a liar? I just think you don’t suspect somebody to be unfaithful if you’re not. That’s not life.
Would you say it has been difficult finding the right man?
Really, I have not been in too many relationships, that’s one. Number two, even if I say that, a lot of people will click on that and say it’s a lie. And I am a loyal person. I don’t like somebody who pretends to be what he’s not. I am not in a hurry the way people are in a hurry on my behalf.
That’s because at the end of the day, I am the one that will live with the man not them. And I wouldn’t want to cry to sleep. I wouldn’t want a man who will make me cry every day, instead of making me happy. Left to me, I will do everything to make him happy but is he really going to reciprocate that?
It has to be a balanced relationship but there is nothing like that.
Now, are you still hoping for a responsible man to come?
I am not hoping. It’s going to happen when it will happen. I am not searching for a husband. So, don’t quote me on that. I am just going to tell you, and as usual I don’t talk about any relationship. I am just giving you a general insight of what life is about.
Not long ago, you travelled to the US, what was the purpose of the trip?
I was ill, and was admitted in the hospital. But my super mentor just advised me that I needed a rest and I should go and rest. And that’s exactly what I went to do. But before I knew, as usual, bloggers had posted stories about my trip abroad.
Like?
I actually went to make an inquiry at New York Academy to see if I could do a course there. So, I was just there for a week and came back to continue my career. But before I came back, they had been posting that I went to get married to a US based lover.
And you’re sure you didn’t go there to meet a man?
For what? When you have a boyfriend, you have a boyfriend. It should be the guy and no one else. Let’s assume a boyfriend gives you the money to travel abroad, you will now go and meet another man there. That makes no sense. I am not in support of things like that because I know God is watching. And a day will come that I will pay heavily for that silly mistake. Not that I am saying I am perfect, I have many flaws but I am a human being, I can’t be perfect. But I am not in support of promiscuity.
On June 12, 2014, you celebrated your birthday, what age did you actually celebrate and how was the event?
I don’t know why Nigerians like age so much. Whatever age you give them they will still doubt you. What I know is that I started acting at 13. I was in secondary school. There was a picture I instagrammed, I don’t hide anything concerning my page on Instagram. I have only one Instagram account which is Halima. Any other handle is not mine. So, anything I do, I always make it public. I instagrammed the two pictures of when I was 13 and 17 in my school uniform. Some people said which 17, you were 24 here and so on. You know how people behave when it comes to age issue people will start poke-nosing, saying all sorts of things. Now, I have decided not to declare any age again. If they like let them say I am young.
Okay, how was it celebrated?
I was shooting that day, I had my birthday on set. And of course, few of my colleagues brought cakes for me. I didn’t stage any party. It was low key. But we had more than seven cakes donated to me.
But we learnt you went to an orphanage to doll out cash and gift items, how much did you spend on this?
I don’t need to disclose that. And it’s not as if it’s what I do only when I celebrate my birthday. I believe that’s one of the things I should be doing on that day. I was later allowed to come back home as a mark of honour for my birthday.
-TADE ASIFAT
