The Iraqi artist Kazem El Saher was a guest on a special episode of the ABtalks program with media personality Anas Bukhash, where he openly talked about his breakdowns, successes, and secrets revealed for the first time.
During the episode, El Saher recalled details of his childhood and upbringing in a poor and challenging environment, emphasizing that suffering was the initial spark for his career path. He said, "I was born out of suffering, but challenge and responsibility were part of my genes and my nature from a young age."
He also reminisced about moments from his childhood including his love for drawing from his early years and the most memorable moments that accompanied him, pointing out that the most beautiful moment he had was when his mother bought him a new shirt, while the death of his sister "Sabah" as a toddler, not older than a year and a half from a scorpion or snake bite, remained the harshest memory in his life.
El Saher described his mother as a "formidable woman" who endured a great deal, especially after his father married four women, commenting, "Men are generally not committed."
The encounter featured a frank discussion about the other side of fame, where El Saher considered that stardom is like a prison. He explained that an artist lives in a constant state of pressure and striving to please the audience and deliver the best. He narrated details about his visit to the icon Fairouz, saying, "I left Fairouz's place feeling psychologically hurt. I saw her life and felt that she had not lived life as she deserved. An artist may be less than the image drawn by the audience, but he sacrifices everything to remain revered in their eyes."
El Saher clearly declared in one of the most emotionally impactful parts of the conversation that he does not think about remarrying, firmly expressing his desire to live alone, even swearing to not repeat the experience. He attributed this to his ongoing feeling of guilt towards his late ex-wife Aroub El Saher, the mother of his children and his cousin, who died in 2022, despite their separation in 1996, saying, "I am very sensitive at this age to every word, and I refuse to wrong another woman with me; therefore, I preferred solitude over the complexities of relationships."
He also revealed that he recently sought help from a psychologist to deal with the issue of "self-flagellation" that has accompanied him for years. El Saher also touched upon the pain of losing the mother of his children, emphasizing that this experience made him realize that life is an illusion, but he was able to overcome his ordeal through prayer and his strong relationship with God, along with the support he received from his friends.
