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Al-Ahram Weekly
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Russian-Egyptian cultural night honours late Arab theatre lady Samiha Ayoub - City Lights - Life & Style
The Egyptian-Russian Friendship Association, in cooperation with the Russian Cultural Centre and the National Centre for Cinema, held a special event to commemorate 40 days since the passing of legendary Egyptian actress Samiha Ayoub, celebrating her enduring legacy as a pioneering figure in Arab theatre and her significant role in fostering cultural ties between Egypt and Russia. Prominent figures, including Ibrahim Kamel, president of the Egyptian-Russian Friendship Association; Ambassador Ezzat Saad, the association's vice president; Denis Brunikov, the acting director of the Russian House; and Ahmed Salah, head of the National Centre for Cinema, attended the event. Amal Abdel-Meguid, director of the Centre for Cinematic Culture; Khaled Shabana, deputy head of Nile Specialised Channels; veteran actress Samira Abdel-Aziz; actor Mohsen Sabry; and Mokhtar Younis, professor of directing at the Higher Institute of Cinema, were also present. ## The evening was moderated by Sherif Gad, the association's secretary-general. It began with the screening of a short documentary, The Lady of Arab Theatre, directed by Ashraf Fayek. The documentary reflected on Fayek's experience working with Ayoub and her final acting roles. Fayek highlighted Ayoub's simplicity in performance and her desire to use the film as a medium to deliver a message of awareness to younger generations. Moreover, actress Abdel-Aziz delivered a touching speech about their lifelong friendship, describing Ayoub as the one who supported her the most during the early days of her career — an emotional sentiment echoed by actor Sabry. The evening also featured the presentation of a book, The Legend of Arab Theatre, by Ayman El-Hakim, which includes Ayoub's memoirs. El-Hakim chronicled her artistic and personal journey, highlighting her deep admiration for Russian culture, particularly the Stanislavski method of actor training. Her connection to Russia was also reflected in her performances of works by Russian playwrights and her emotional bond with the country, sparked in part by the romantic letters her husband, late writer Saad El-Din Wahba, used to send daily during his long work trip to Moscow. Each letter was accompanied by photographs of Russia's iconic landmarks, fueling her desire to explore the country. Actress Samira Abdel-Aziz, author Ayman El-Hakim, with Sherif Gad, Secretary-General of the Friendship Association El-Hakim also shared stories about Ayoub's dedication to her grandson Youssef, showing how she even developed an interest in football for his sake. This went so far that she arranged a meeting with football star Mohamed Salah so Youssef could take a photo with him. Meanwhile, Kamel praised Ayoub for etching her name in the hearts of audiences across Egypt and the Arab world. He also expressed gratitude to the members of the Egyptian-Russian Friendship Association for their efforts throughout the cultural season. Ambassador Saad also emphasized that it was great to conclude the association's cultural season with a tribute to a figure who holds a deep place in the hearts of Egyptians. Furthermore, Salah thanked the Russian Cultural Centre for hosting the event, affirming that Ayoub remains a symbol of pure artistry, enlightened culture, and national conscience. "Ayoub is a voice for the nation's causes and a living embodiment of the strong, intellectual, and resilient Arab woman," he concluded. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Time of India
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Nawazuddin Siddiqui: We are fortunate to have actors like Om Puri, Manoj Bajpayee and Irrfan
Nawazuddin Siddiqui For Nawazuddin Siddiqui , the journey to cinema, like it does for so many moviegoers, started in a theatre. And in his case, in a remote village, Budhana, in western UP. Nawaz says that Indian cinema 's global presence has been cracked by independent filmmakers and their films are appreciated in Europe, in France. It's a recognition, he feels, that was long overdue and one that keeps him rooted in the kind of cinema he's always loved from the powerful performances of actors like Naseeruddin Shah in Sparsh (1980) to Irrfan in Lunchbox (2013). Nawaz says, "These films, performances, and his theatre training shaped me into the actor I became.' In a conversation, Nawaz spoke about the impact films had on him. 'There are so many films I keep going back to. Dev Anand's Leader, Naseeruddin Shah's Ijaazat, Om Puri 's Ardh Satya' 'The first film I ever watched in a cinema hall was Jaggu Dada (1975),' he recalls. 'I must have been five or six. (Films at that time didn't release immediately in far-fetched areas.) He is an amazing actor and a person. Hamare yahan toh Shatrughan Sinha bahut hi popular thay western UP mein.' Nawaz says he has always been a cinephile in awe of movies by actors who pushed boundaries. 'There are so many films I keep going back to. Dev Anand's Leader, Naseeruddin Shah's Ijaazat, Om Puri's Ardh Satya, Pankaj Kapur's Ek Doctor Ki Maut. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Profit Trick - Read More vividtrendlab Click Here Undo by Taboola by Taboola Ye filmein main baar-baar hazaar baar dekh sakta hoon.' What links them, for him, is not genre or director, but the power of performance. 'It's the actors,' he says. "Inn filmon mein aise actors hain. Hamare country mein aise actors ka hona, ye khushnaseebi hai hum logon ke liye. Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri, Kamal Haasan, Manoj Bajpayee , Irrfan Khan - they're great actors. Main aisi hi filmein dekh kar bada hua. These films and my theatre training shaped me into the actor I became.' Nawaz says that while the performances of these actors shaped him, film festivals expanded his sense of what Indian cinema could be. 'Berlin ho ya Cannes ya Venice, itne log aate hain sirf cinema ke liye' Nawaz says that he has seen the inside of screening rooms from Venice to Berlin, where crowds show up for cinema and not spectacle. 'Berlin ho ya Cannes ya Venice, itne log aate hain sirf cinema ke liye. You go there, watch films from around the world, and then you see the ones that went from India, aur tab lagta hai ki Thank God! hamare yahan se bhi itni achhi filmein gayi hain. Even if they didn't run in India, even if people here didn't know about them - they worked globally. ' Be it All We Imagine As Light or Lunchbox - these films went on to become a global phenomenon, he says. At a French film panel in 2022, Michele Plazanet, of France's National Centre for Cinema, described it as 'a hit with French audiences,' jokingly noting that it combined their two favourite things - love and food. 'Indian cinema ko kisi ne crack kiya hai toh independent directors ne' This year, Neeraj Ghaywan's Homebound made it to Cannes. Payal Kapadia was on the Cannes jury. Village Rockstars 2 by Rima Das just picked up the Kim Jiseok Award at Busan last year. Nawaz says, "Indian cinema ko global level pe kisi ne crack kiya hai toh woh independent directors ne pahunchaya hai. Most of our commercial films are preferred by Indian diaspora, Middle East, but in France, Europe, it is our independent films which are more appreciated. '
