Khaberni - Mohamed Farrag confirmed that the wave of controversy that accompanied the announcement of the movie "The Lady" was expected due to the importance of the work and the nature of the characters it addresses, pointing out that the nature of the movie, which tells the story of the iconic Umm Kulthum, naturally sets high expectations.
In the film, the artist portrays the character of the great poet Ahmed Rami, one of the most prominent poets who wrote Umm Kulthum's most famous songs, and Farrag described the character as one of the most challenging in the film, explaining that the work presents a tale and human characters filled with deep emotions and feelings.
The artist refused to limit the discussion to the external appearance and similarity to the real character, considering that this approach diminishes the real value of the artistic work.
Farrag said: "We are working on a film that contains a story and characters of flesh and blood, interacting with real emotions and feelings, so the value of the work cannot be reduced to just a formal comparison or how the makeup is presented."
He added, directing a message to critics: "As an actor, I am not required to resemble the poet Ahmed Rami by 100%, as an actor presents the life and soul of the character, not just a replicated image," and continued: "You can bring in an actor who looks like Ahmed Rami if that is the main goal."
Farrag mentioned that the promo provoked widespread reactions, but he described what happened towards Mona Zaki as a controversial situation and not criticisms, affirming that the final judgment belongs to the audience when the film is screened.
He emphasized that any discussion about similarities or visual differences remains secondary compared to the artistic and dramatic value that the film presents.
It is worth mentioning that the movie "The Lady" is directed by Marwan Hamed and written by Ahmed Morad, featuring a cast of stars, notably Mona Zaki as Umm Kulthum, and Mohamed Farrag as Ahmed Rami, along with Ahmed Khaled Saleh, Tamer Nabil, and Sayed Ragab, with several artists making cameo appearances like Ahmed Helmy, Amr Saad, Karim Abdel Aziz, Nelly Karim, and Amina Khalil.
