Directed by Ruben Reng, produced by Buhari Atiya and Executively Produced by Abdulrasheed Bello, this Hausa-themed family drama is now streaming on AfriStar media YouTube channel.

Synopsis: (MAY include spoilers) 

Ibrahim (played by Adam Garba) lives with his mum in Zaria and their living condition is not particularly rich-looking. A call from Abuja by his Uncle Suleiman (portrayed by Ibrahim Nassir) sees a change of scenery for Ibrahim as well as a couple of incidences leading to an ultimate life choice.

Would you want to grab your popcorn 

 and favourite drink to munch along this drama with a runtime of 1hour 31minutes? Well, you be the judge of that!

My Take:
An absolute breath of fresh air this is, albeit the movie played with my head as it progressed. When I thought it was taking one direction, it took another. Not a bad thing to be honest. It’s just that somehow, for how it turned out in the second act of the film, it seemed like there was going to be a plot twist of some sort depicting someone was up to no good (in my viewpoint). Alas there was none. That was disappointing, if you ask me as there was enough premise for different possible outcomes..

Be that as it may, I love how this deviated from the usual family dynamics of domineering tradition, imposing a choice of partners on their children. Also, I noticed how the story did not vilify Ibrahim’s Uncle as many Nollywood movies have made us believe over the years such that the word ‘uncle’ became almost synonymous to one’s enemy of progress.

This was lighthearted and I very much appreciate it. The religious theme of decency was sooo beautiful and refreshing to see. I’ve always admired the way Hausa ladies adorn & carry themselves…so much elegance and grace! The dedication to prayers too was equally inspiring.

The background music was relaxing and it set the perfect tone for the genre of movie. This movie proved that you don’t need kissing, caressing & all
the love acts to express such emotions. It was mature yet believable.

The actors were good. The two ladies that played Sakina & Zainab, my goodness! Such breathtaking beauty! Loved how they interpreted one being WILD & SLY and the other being MILD & SHY! This movie shows how much good girls are taken for granted, tossed about & relegated to the back. This isn’t fair! I believe it’s one of the reasons moral decadence is on an all time high! 

The guys that played Ibrahim and Mustapha ‘Musty’, are they brothers in real life? They kinda look alike. Ma’am Ummi (who played Hajiya), though given very limited lines & scenes, shone bright as usual! Love her smiles and calmness.

Camera quality, sound, makeup, costume and ambience were all amazing. While the story and plot were equally brilliant, I can’t say the same of the ending of this movie. It had a very weak end; one that sort of appeared to have wrapped up hurriedly which then watered down all that had been built up.

OBSERVATION/QUESTIONS:
1. Who delivers such magnitude of message at the door and to a newly wedded in such manner? Couldn’t Mustapha have waited or even make an adequate arrangement to meet with Ibrahim in person and give him the parcel by himself? What was the rush for? 

2. Now, for what we later realised from the message delivered in the end, why was Ibrahim and his mother living under such conditions in Zaria to begin with?

3. Did Ibrahim later settle those guys that were after his life at the beginning of the film? Maybe I missed it!

4. Why was Musty pushing Ibrahim real hard to have a go with Zainab knowing full well what was already in the works only to later start playing ‘Mr. Wisdom the big brother’ when this had next to no impact on the movie? 

5. How did Zainab go from “yes Uncle” to “yes daddy” addressing same man? That would have been a good twist instead it made for some confusing head scratching moment. Perhaps, she shouldn’t have addressed him as either only just in reference would have been more than sufficient.

6. We never got to see Musty in any relationship. We were made to believe that he’s older than Ibrahim. Yet, his parents weren’t bothered about his marital status and neither was he. To me, that was somewhat too good to be true, don’t you think? 

7. This movie is educational based on its title ‘TAQDEER’ which refers to “if something is meant to be it’s meant to be” especially as a decree from Allah. But did Ibrahim truly have a change of feelings towards Sakina or she was only just a source of rebound for him in the interim? Many ladies fall prey of this.

Overall, this was an interesting watch, though some mixed up lines here and there but none that I can’t forgive. It was relatable, compelling to some extent. It was entertaining. Loved seeing the poster for the film adaptation of American writer Colleen Hoover’s book “It Ends With Us” (this had nothing to do with this movie by the way). There was some good level of attention to details. However, this could have been way better than it turned out to be.