Middle-east Arab News Opinion | Asharq Al-awsat

Producer Jamal El Adl: Sherihan Will Make a Comeback with Major Show | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Egyptian performance star Sherihan. (El Adel Group)


Cairo – Despite nearly a 15-year absence from the entertainment scene, Egypt’s Sherihan has not lost her star power, which seems to grow brighter day after day. The legend of Egyptian entertainment, as she is called, will stage a comeback after the majority of producers failed for years in convincing her to make a return.

“El Adl Group”, headed by producer Jamal el Adl succeeded in persuading her to return through a major show that merges the theater, cinema and television.

Sherihan made the official announcement of her comeback during a major celebration that was organized by “El Adl Group” and which was attended by entertainment, cultural and media figures.

Producer el Adl told Asharq Al-Awsat: “Sherihan was thinking about making a return to the entertainment scene, but she was hindered by her search for the right project.”

“About a year ago, we started planning until she was presented with a topic that interested her,” he explained, saying that she is eager to return to the public.

El Adl is considered the only producer who has presented a project “that meets the major celebrity status” and honors the career of Sherihan, which is why she agreed to make the comeback.

“The trust we both share that no one else is privy to was also a factor in her decision,” he revealed.

El Adl also rejected claims that she refused to return to the entertainment scene because she is “lazy” and did not want to work.

Her comeback, he explained, is composed of 18 theatrical and movie performances. A number of Egyptian writers, such as Dr. Midhat el-Adl, Mariam Naoum, Tamer Habib and Mohammed Amin Radi are involved in them.

The theater performances, which she will star in, will follow international standards and they will be staged at the end of this year.

Of Sherihan, el Adl said: “Never in my career have I seen anyone so committed to their work as her. From the first day of preparations, she was never a minute late to practice or a workshop. She is one of the most dedicated artists and she is very focused on her work.”

Asked if she will be able to perform after a 15-year absence, he replied: “She is still in perfect health and she has not lost her physique as she regularly plays sports and has a private trainer.”

“She constantly does dance training as she is a major artist and knows how to maintain her physique. She has her own style that she has maintained throughout her career and she will come back even better than before,” he declared.

“She is a major star and a complete artist. She will not risk a comeback unless she is capable of pleasing the viewers. She does not need the money, but her return stems from her conviction of what she has to offer because it will be a major production,” he stressed.

The producer said that Sherihan has a “God-given charm and she is loved by all. Some major stars even attended practice sessions just so they can take photographs with her.”

He added that she is “unparalleled” when it comes to performance and Ramadan shows (“fawazeer”), which is why she is “number 1.”

Sherihan kicked off her career at an early age when she told her mother that she wanted to work in performing and singing. She produced the series “The Miracle” (al-Mojiza) for her and afterwards she acted in “The Bitter Bread” (al-Khobz al-Murr).

She achieved major fame throughout the Arab world in the 1980s after she presented the daily Ramadan shows and she also achieved major success in theater, acting along greats such as Fouad al-Mohandis and Farid Shawki, and in movies where she acted in over 25 films.

Her last movie role was in 2002 alongside Farouk al-Fishawi.

Sherihan had a long battle with salivary gland cancer and she underwent a major surgery in France and endured years of chemotherapy. It was said at the time that she was going to retire and spend her time raising her two girls, but she overcame her illness.