Nigerian actor and director, Ali Nuhu, and Kannywood movie director, Falalu A. Dorayi, have knocked the statement credited to veteran screen diva, Ladi Cima, that she had never been paid more than N10,000 for her acting role in Kannywood movies.
Cima, whilst speaking with BBC Hausa, disclosed that she has never received any wage in the range of N50,000 or N20,000 to participate in any movie shoot.
“Since I started acting [in Kannywood] up to now, I have never been paid fifty, twenty or thirty thousand naira.
“I’m usually paid between three to five thousand naira. In fact today, I went to a movie set where I was given only two thousand naira.
Reacting to her statement, a notable actor, Ali Nuhu told BBC Hausa that her claim was a ‘hasty generalisation,’ adding that he personally paid her N40,000 in a recent movie that he featured her.
Acccording to him, her statement was unfair because though some producers pay far less, the same yardstick should not be used to measure everybody in the industry.
“You know people can do what they like to artistes. Some people can be generous while others can be otherwise. So it’s important for people to differentiate those who have been kind to them from those who have not been.
Daily Trust reports that Falau A. Dorayi, who is one of the biggest directors in Kannywood also expressed surprise by Cima’s commentary.
“Just less than ten days ago, I worked with her in a movie for which I paid her N30,000,” he said.
Following the series of negative reviews and backlash she received, an indifferent Ladi Cima spoke again with BBC Hausa to clear the air.
The thespian dislcosed that people failed to understand that while there are movies in which she was paid two to three thousand, there were also producers who are merely generous to her for the sake of her age.
In her narratives, she had never negotiated what to be paid with any producer, adding that the industry’s heavyweights like Ali Nuhu, Falalu A. Dorayi and Hadiza Gabon have particularly been kind to her.
She said, “Ali Nuhu even visits me at home and he has done a lot for me.
She also admitted that a popular actress in the industry, Hadiza Gabon had even gifted her three hundred thousand (N300,000) recently.
“Even the house I currently live in was bought for me by some people in the industry,” she added.
