After playing the characters of the two late Egyptian presidents Jamal Abdel Naser and Anwar al Sadat, Egyptian film star Ahmed Zaki is gearing up to play the role of the late singer Abdel Halim Hafez.
Scenarist Mahfouz Abdel Rahman has wrapped up the script of the film entitled Halim which director Magdi Ahmed Ali will start filming next March, while Zaki is on special diet in preparation for the film, which he considers an important turning point in his acting career.
“The idea of the film on Hafez has always been in my mind. I think some people need to know something about the singer about whom many writers have written articles, but no actors have performed his character in a film or TV series. Therefore I expect the film and the historic character to achieve big success,” Zaki told the Arab Press Agency.
Zaki said he would not sing in the film. “For me, the issue is more than singing, as it constitutes a trip inside the character to reveal the secrets of his life other than singing. I am not a singer, despite the fact that I can sing well.”
“My aim in this film is to activate peoples’ mind to remember Hafez’s time and remind them of the characteristics of that age and the romance that prevailed during that period and which we lack now.” - Albawaba.com
