Khaberni - The Kuwaiti director, Sadiq Behbehani, announced his new work "Albashkhteh" exiting the Ramadan race and delaying its viewing to ensure a greater chance of audience engagement due to its nature and the story it addresses.
The "Art Gulf" newspaper, which specializes in artistic news, quoted director Behbehani saying, "His new series, which was scheduled to be shown in Ramadan, will be aired next April on (Kuwait TV) and the (51) platform belonging to the Ministry of Information."
Behbehani clarified, "The congestion of drama work during Ramadan often affects viewing rates, while airing it after the Ramadan season provides a greater opportunity for spread and reaching a wider audience segment, in addition to enabling the viewer to follow it calmly away from the rush of works."
He also added, "Albashkhteh belongs to works that require concentration and thoughtful viewing and is not categorized as quick content," pointing out that he "was keen from the beginning to showcase it outside the Ramadan season to give it its full artistic right."
In concluding his discussion with the artistic newspaper, Behbehani confirmed, "His interest is not focused on competition or the Ramadan race as much as it focuses on public opinion and their evaluation of the work."
"Albashkhteh" is classified as a "contemporary comedic and thrilling work," and it consists of ten episodes, shining light on social issues presented in a heavy comedic format.
The story revolves around a young man unemployed after resigning from the private sector, waiting for government employment, and starts working selling antiques in the Friday market, benefiting from his father being a collector of antiques and rarities.
During the young man’s work, a foreign trader comes to him stating that "Albashkhteh" is a rare piece, and he wants to buy it for a large amount, but he refuses to sell because his father, a puzzle enthusiast, had recorded his wills on cassette tapes, and each recording opens a new door of topics and puzzles that reflect on his life’s events, in a setting of intriguing events filled with comedy and mysteries.
The screenplay idea belongs to the director himself, who co-wrote it with writers Ali Boland, Ibrahim Nerouz, and features a cast of artists including "Abdulaziz Al-Nassar, Mubarak Al-Manea, Noura Al-Amiri, Ahmad Al Onan, Shehab Hajia, Mohammad Al-Dosari, and Nassar Al-Nassar," with guest appearances from "Hassan Al-Balam, and Zahra Arafat."
"Albashkhteh" is a traditional device, essentially a decorated wooden box that plays musical discs, with a small machine inside called a "cock" that rotates to drive the disc to spin, emitting sound from the horn fixed on top of "Albashkhteh."
