Popular Kannywood actress Bilkisu Umar Aliyu has revealed that her decision to join the film industry once cost her a marriage, after a man she was set to marry abruptly called off their wedding plans, claiming he could not marry an actress.
The actress made the revelation during an exclusive interview with Fim magazine, where she spoke about her journey into filmmaking, the challenges she has faced, and her hopes for the future.
Born in Mubi, Bilkisu Umar Aliyu said she spent most of her life in Abuja, where she grew up, got married, and later became a mother. Following the end of her marriage, she eventually found herself drawn into the Kannywood film industry.
According to her, acting was never part of her original plans. While she was still married, she frequently rented out her house and costumes to film producers and actors for movie productions, with her husband’s consent. At the time, however, she had no interest in becoming an actress herself.
She explained that after her marriage ended, she found herself with little to do and decided to venture into acting as a way of overcoming loneliness and creating a new purpose for herself.
Her acting career began with the movie ‘Rai Dangin Goro’, produced by Misbahu M. Ahmad. Since then, she has appeared in numerous productions, including ‘Musaya’ ‘Tashin Zance,’ ‘Wa Ya San Gobe?’, ‘Kurman Baƙi’, and ‘Ƙalubale’.
She said her breakthrough came through the films ‘Manyan Mata’, in which she played the younger sister of Lantana Maman Fadila, as well as ‘A’isha Humaira’ and ‘Suwaiba’.
However, she disclosed that a television commercial she featured in alongside fellow actress Hadizan Saima brought both popularity and personal hardship. While the advertisement significantly increased her fan base, it also led to the collapse of a relationship that was headed towards marriage.
According to Bilkisu, all preparations for the wedding had been completed when the man suddenly changed his mind after seeing her on television.
“He told me he could not marry me because I was an actress,” she recalled. “He said that with his status, reputation and wealth, people would say he had married a prostitute.”
The comment deeply hurt her, she said, particularly because she felt unfairly judged for her profession.
“He told me that actresses were either homosexuals or prostitutes, and that he could never marry one,” she recounted.
Despite the painful experience, Bilkisu said she eventually moved on after reminding herself that marriage is ultimately determined by God’s will and that many actresses have successful marriages.
“People have different opinions,” she said. “Many actresses are married and living happily with their husbands. I came to understand that everyone has their destiny, and Allah joins people with what is meant for them.”
On the reaction of her family to her acting career, Bilkisu said she encountered little resistance. With both parents deceased and being a mature adult, she said her relatives trusted her character and encouraged her to maintain the values for which she was known.
“My family knows I was raised with good morals and self-discipline,” she said. “Character comes from home. If someone loses their dignity in the film industry, it is because they did not bring that dignity with them in the first place.”
Although her experience left a lasting emotional scar, the actress insists she has not given up on marriage.
“I have not abandoned the idea of marriage,” she said. “If I meet the right man today, I will get married. I believe marriage has its appointed time. Not every man thinks the way that person did.”
She added that her prayer is for God to bless her with a good husband with whom she can spend the rest of her life in peace.
Now one of the rising faces in Kannywood, Bilkisu Umar Aliyu says she remains focused on her career while keeping faith that the future holds both professional success and personal happiness.
