Bashir Bala (Chiroki) vs. Usman Baba Pategi (Samanja)
A little about the Nothern Nigerian Veteran Actors.
Bashir Bala popularly known as Chiroki was born on the 22nd of September 1969 at Durumin Zungura in Kano State.
He got his primary school education at Kowli Primary School between 1980 to 1986, from there he gained high school education at a Medical School at the ‘New door’ between 1986 to 1989.
He started acting in movies since he was 9 years old and has been in uncountable movies today, most of which are Drama’s, but he gained his prominense and popularity from his earlier movie ‘Aljana Sumbuka’.
Bashir Bala Chiroki played the roles of nefarious characters that the audience loved to hate but could still successful deliver outstanding comedic performances like in the movie ‘Doctor Gulam’.
Had a popular chant in one of his movies that went:
(Duniya meka, meka, duniya Chiroki, Chiroki)
Usman Baba Pategi, known mostly as Samanja Mazan Fama (born 20 May, 1942) is a retired Nigerian Army.
Together with Yusuf Ladan, Mamman Ladan and Idi Jibril an NTA staff they introduced the Hausa comedy known now as Kannywood, Northern Nigerian films or Hausa films in 80s to the Northern audience.
He mostly appears as a police or soldier in their common practice and dramatize moves in the movie industry.
When asked why, He said “due to the experience I got in the army, I decided to use the way we react, move and command and that’s where the name (Samanja) came on to be, the way a Sergeant and Major take control and commands the order ranks” he also stated that acting gives him more joy and happiness that’s why retired and returned to his acting career.
The popular actor, writer and director starred in populous Hausa films like:
Samanja
Yusuf’s Ladan’s ‘Zaman Duniya Iyawa Ne’
Pategi got popularity for the movie Samanja by mixing Hausa/English and pidgin English the way Nigerian soldiers usually speak.
