The President of the Motion Pictures Practitioners Association of Nigeria (MOPPAN), Kabiru Maikaba, has said that soon, the Kannywood film regulatory body will stop producers from making love-themed movies.

Mr Maikaba, who spoke to BBC Hausa on Thursday, said the Kannywood film producers concentrate more on producing love-themed movies instead of making other films that will shape the society.

“About 80 per cent of the films we produce in Kannywood are all based on love and relationships, which is not supposed to be. Why do we have to put our weight more on basically love related films knowing fully well that we also have other issues we can actually produce on?

“Northern Nigeria is a hub of history. Why can’t our producers go deep into it and produce a film that will portray our history and cultures? I want to tell you that soon, we will be having our general election and after that election, we shall enforce measures that will reject movies that are purely based on love.

“We shall sanction the producer by stopping him from producing films for a very long time and so we shall continue, until we sanitise the industry.”

Meanwhile, PREMIUM TIMES spoke to some producers in the industry on the planned measures by MOPPPAN. While many said the move will cripple the industry, others believe it is right for MOPPAN to take such a decision.

Hassana Dalhat, a Kannywood film promoter and analyst, said while the initiative will sanitise the industry and give it a new face, many producers will run out of business if care is not taken.

“The general perception is that Kannywood copies their style of acting and producing from India. And you know Indian films are mostly love related. In Kannywood, actors dance and it is always about love. Fans are used to that style too. Derailing from it will surely cost the industry but to a large extent it will give the industry a new face,” Dalhat said.

Ali Ali, who is also a producer, said while it will surely be a good idea to encourage producers to make films out of the box, stopping it at once is not something that is feasible at the moment. Instead, producers should be encouraged to produce other styles of films.

Fans who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES supported the initiative but insisted that it should be gradual.

Hafsat Mohammed told our reporter that, “in this part of Nigeria, the love and relationship related movies are what people like. It will cost them their loyal fans.”

“If you look at it now, ZeeWorld is already taking away many of their fans. The movies are dubbed in Hausa and that is where the show is now. I advise that they think about it and do it gradually. Already, Kannywood is not rocking like it used to.”