Nadia Buhari is any reporter’s
delight any day. Quite humble and receptive, the beautiful Ghanaian tube
goddess was our guest the other when News Editor, Faith Irabor encountered her
at the movie premiere of Zero To Hero at the Silverbird Galleria, Victoria
Island, Lagos where she spoke on her new slim-figure, family and what she looks
for in a man. It’s sure an interesting
interview.
You look so trimmed, Can you tell
us what’s responsible for this?
Yeah, I have been doing a lot of
exercise lately though it’s kind of stressful and hectic and I concentrate more
on what I eat unlike before.
What informed the change of shape,
you seem to have lost the curves and figures now!
There was a movie I wanted to be part of, when
I read the script I immediately thought of trimming my shape in preparation
even though I wasn’t forced.
What’s the name of the movie?
Sadly, it didn’t come out, besides
I remember waking up one morning and trying to test a beautiful dress of mine,
but shockingly it didn’t fit and I felt really so bad when am fitting it, so I
hated myself, I knew I have gone so fat then.
When last did you fit into the
dress before deciding to trim for it again?
When I was starting my career, it
was a while back and I really like the dress and wanted to save it for a
special day, so when I put myself into the dress and didn’t fit into it I was
like hell no, I need to get back to the way my physical appearance was before
now, you know, the way I was before, though it was the movie that motivated me the
more, I felt I have gained a lot of weight and I was so concerned, so I decided
to lose it.
You talked about when you were
starting your career, when was that and what movie would you say gave you the
breakthrough?
I remembered that I had my first audition
when I was in my first year in the University, I actually heard about the
auditioning from a friend and I will say I am one of the fortunate ones in the
industry because I was the lead in that movie though I can’t remember the
title, and I also played lead in the second one and then the phone calls kept
coming and the rest like they say is history.
Don’t you think your skin colour
contributed to it?
No, I honestly don’t think so
because we have the dark actresses over there that are like huge and major and it’s
not necessarily the complexion.
Then how true is it that you have a
bit of Nigerian blood in you?
Hmmm…. Yes my father has a bit of
Nigerian blood in him.
Which part of Nigeria?
(Laughs) I really can’t say but I
think Yoruba, am not sure and if I must say it’s an honour to even have a part
of Nigerian blood in me and to be a mixed.
How was growing up like for you?
Yeah, growing up was awesome, I had
a great childhood.
What to you are the challenges of
being a star actress?
The first thing is, it’s time
consuming, then your privacy is a little bit taken away from you because you
live your life in the public eyes and more so one have to be very careful of
the things he or she do because people tend to criticize the things you do.
Can Nadia share who the lucky man
in her life is with us and again what’s your current relationship with Chelsea
player Michael Essien who has been reported on several occasions to be your
man?
(Loud laughter) that’s funny, in fact very
funny. Your question is funny.
But I am serious!
You are serious about what, if I am
in a relationship?
Yes and if it’s also altar bound?
Hmmmm… can you please ask another
question.
Ok who’s your ideal man and the
qualities you look out for in him?
I always say that there’s no such
thing as a perfect guy. I might have a whole lot of check lists of who I wanted
my ideal man to be but you can’t have it all because I have my flaws, you have
your flaws and so also does everyone have his or her fault and we can’t be
perfect but there is one thing I look out for. That is the ultimate principles
of truth, he has to be an honest person because you can’t be with the person
you can’t trust and you can’t put your life in the hand of a person you can’t
trust! So I always believe in the ultimate principles of trust. But sincerely I
have a whole lot of check list which are sometimes still real and sometimes
mere fiction, yes I sometimes pray he needs to be this, he needs to be that but
I have come to realize you can’t have it all.
How would you rate the Ghanaian
movie industry compared to some years back?
Over ten, I’ll give it five because
we’ve come a long way and the remaining five also means that we still have a
long way to go.
So what are the things you suggest
they do to achieve this?
Yeah they have to, or maybe we
ought to have a lot of funds and Government support because if we have funds we
will do a lot of good movies otherwise our attitude towards work won’t be the
way it’s supposed to be. Then there has to be a priority and by this I mean we
need to go to school to learn and not say because we are actors, we can
automatically be whoever and a whole lot of things, that’s why I just have to
give it five because we are there but still have a long way to go.
What’s your educational background?
Let’s just say I actually school up
to the university level, I am a graduate of the University of Ghana.
Would you mind telling us your age?
(Laughs) I can’t tell you, a woman
never tells her age.
What’s your beauty secret because
you’ve got a very good skin!
Honestly, I take care of myself
because as a celebrity, my body is my brand so I need to take good care of it.
As a celebrity, one needs to exercise, you won’t believe that I was never a fan
of exercise until I saw the result and also it’s necessary to do a lot of
dieting. You don’t eat junks, I was actually in love with junk foods but I had
to cut it and I’ve also cut my calories now, I eat more fruits and salad and
drink lots of water. Like I said, I am like this because of a movie I produced.
It’s a movie about a drug addict and there is still more to go but I don’t want
to scare people, I mean I don’t want to come out and people would be like Oh my
God! (General laughter).
What is your relationship with
other Ghanaian actresses because it’s assumed that there is a serious power
tussle between you ladies?
I have a very good relationship
with them, I work with them.
But we learnt Nadia and Jackie
Appiah don’t talk to each other?
I don’t have any beef for anyone; I
think people just want to make up stories.
Who are your favourite actresses in
the movie industry here in Nigeria and Ghana?
In Nigeria I don’t have favourite I
just have people I admire but I won’t mention their names but in Ghana I would
say myself!
What would you like to be
remembered for?
I want to be remembered as the girl
who took the movie industry in my country to the international level. And
that’s the reason why I don’t like to talk about my relationship, I want the
world to know of my works, I just want to promote my works because it’s what I
love to do and it’s my passion and so I don’t want to be talking about my
private life because I am not selling my relationship but the brand Nadia. In years
to come, I want to see myself as the girl who took the Ghana movie industry to
another level. I want to leave a legacy and not just doing acting for a living
and years to come I want my children to commend on the works mum did.
You just talked about children, can
you tell us about the rest of your folks and where they are?
Yeah, I am from a family of five
and I am the first.
So where are the rest?
This is one, she pointed to a young
dark guy by her side).
Waoh! What does he do?
He’s the third and a musician and
it’s even his first time here in Nigeria. He already has a single which is like
a hit in Ghana, he ‘s in Nigeria to see how and what opportunity Nigerian
blossoming entertainment market can offer and that’s why I came with him. Our second
born is in Los Angelis, USA where’s he’s schooling while the fourth and fifth
are both in Ghana with our parents.
