Mona Zaki: The Role of Umm Kulthum Was the Hardest in My Career, Accepted Due to "Unique Script" and Marwan Hamed

The Egyptian actress Mona Zaki revealed the reasons that led her to accept the role of Umm Kulthum in the film "Al-Sett" (The Lady), following its world premiere at the Marrakech International Film Festival.

During the film's press conference in Marrakech, Mona Zaki explained that the biggest factor encouraging her to take on this difficult role was the unique script presented by writer Ahmed Mourad, which uncovered previously unknown human aspects of the legendary singer.

She also confirmed that the project being directed by the great filmmaker Marwan Hamed was another key reason for her "assurance and acceptance of the role," despite the lack of physical resemblance between her and the singing icon. She stated: "If it weren't for the director Marwan Hamed, I wouldn't have had the courage to take on this work."

Hardest Artistic Project and Year-Long Preparation:

• Zaki affirmed that "Al-Sett" is the hardest artistic project she has participated in throughout her career, noting that the difficulty lies in portraying a legend universally adored across the Arab world.

• She recalled feeling both "pride" and "caution" when the role was first offered, knowing she would embody an unparalleled figure.

• Zaki revealed that the preparation period for this challenging role exceeded a full year, including vocal and physical training, music, and specific body posture exercises.

Wide Critical Acclaim: The premiere of "Al-Sett" in Marrakech was met with warm, prolonged applause. Moroccan film critic Abdelkarim Ouakrim described the film on Facebook as "one of the most important cinematic achievements about the biographies of celebrities, Egyptian and Arab."

The film stars Mona Zaki alongside a constellation of major stars, including Karim Abdelaziz, Nelly Karim, and Ahmed Helmy. Amr Saad plays the late President Gamal Abdel Nasser. The film is scheduled for release in cinemas across Egypt and the Arab world on December 10 next month.