Ibrahim Chatta, a well-known actor, has advanced considerably in both acting and filmmaking. Chatta, who recently turned 50 years old and is regarded as one of the best actors in the business, talks to Adeola Otemade about his career so far.
How do you feel about reaching the golden age now that you’ve turned 50 a few days ago?
To be sincere, I have really enjoyed God’s grace. I said this because I never attended any school and never had a secondary school leaving certificate. Just recently, I got enrolled in a college of education in Ikire, Osun State. But before now I did not even have SSCE , but look at me today, I have wined and dined with crème de la crème of the society. It is what I do that paved way for me. The journey was tough, rough, and palatable at the beginning. I didn’t just get here in one day; it has been the grace of God. I don’t like saying hard work brought me here because it is only God that can make things fall in place for you. I see myself as one of the lucky people alive. Some people will say Ibrahim is underrated, Ibrahim is more than what he is getting, but they don’t know my story; they don’t know what I have been through.
My life as a film-maker could be described as nothing to something because I practically came from nowhere; I started as nobody. The days when I would go for rehearsals, direct stage plays and I got nothing in return. Those were times I couldn’t visit the barbing saloon to barb my hair because I couldn’t afford the money; when I would go for days without food. I am grateful that things have changed today. I can feed myself and feed other people. There is a saying in Yoruba language, “iriri aiye kan o le tini titi ko ti ni pa, ogbon lo ma n fin nko ni.” It was a learning process for me. That time, things were very rough for me, I was not getting paid; it was a learning process. Today, I have learnt so much, it has made me very strong. Today, I can tell you that I am a very strong person based on the experiences of life I have had. The experience prepared me for this journey and brought me to this level.
Despite your educational limitations, you have made a name for yourself through acting. How were you able to rise against all odds to become what you are today?
I have always possessed the ability to adapt to any situation around me; it’s one of the gifts Allah blessed me with. We live in a very dynamic society where things change very fast. The only thing that is constant in life is change, so I cultivated the habit of changing with time, going with trends. Also, I am one of those that enjoy Allah’s grace so much. I believe in God. I am a firm believer of the Islamic faith. I pray and my keep my faith in God. So, as time changes I find myself changing with time and adapting to the changes around me.
You have been talking about retiring from acting. What propelled this decision?
There is a point in every man’s life when he needs to take a break from the hustling and bustling of life. The past 35years have been full of challenges and life-changing experiences. Like I said, these happenings shaped my perception about life and I will continue to be guided and live by this perception of mine. This leads me to the decision to retire from movie making and acting. My decision to retire did not stem from the fact that I have reached the peak of my career, but it’s a time for me to give back to the society, invest and train the younger generation so that they can do it better than we have done.
So, you will be walking away from the movie industry?
I won’t be going away from the movie industry. People don’t understand the idea yet. Right now, I have a film company that I am running. There is a saying when you get past a certain age; you leave the reins to the ones coming behind. Actors don’t get old; they are like good wine, the older it gets, the sweeter it is. That’s why we see Uncle Olu-Jacobs, Oga Bello, Uncle Jide Kosoko getting better at what they do with each passing day.
But these people have not retired.
Some people are now saying Ibrahim, how can an actor retire? You are not a sports man or a civil servant. The truth is that I don’t want to continue running around, moving from one location to the other; you will hardly have time for other things. I am trying to create time for other things that I love to do.
What are those things you love to do?
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