Cairo – Khalid Ali
Egyptian actress Donia Samir
Cairo – Khalid Ali
Egyptian actress Donia Samir Ghanem claimed that she wasn't upset that she was not appearing in any of the Ramadan dramas this year, after producers decided to postpone the transmission of
“1001 Nights” (Alf Leila we Leila) series from the Ramadan race until 2013 in which she starred.
In an exclusive interview with Arabstoday, Donia explained that although the script of the series was "well-written" by Mohamed Amin Rady, "it was difficult to be implement, because it included a lot of complex scenes which needed more time to conceive to the highest production standards, which the production company realised, so they decided to postpone the series."
"At the beginning, there were 30 episodes but we were short of time, so we decided to cut it to 15 episodes. But we discovered that we could only shoot about one scene a day, which meant that we would run out of time to shoot the remaining episodes. I remember that one day we shot 2 scenes but there was no dialogue involved, purely movement from the actors."
Speaking about the rumoured disputes between the actors over the order of names on the series credits, she denied there had been any problems: "The credits were to appear according to priority of appearance which I think is the best way to handle them, and is followed by other works which include a large number of stars, such as "The Wedding" (El Farah) and "Cabaret" (Kabareh) in which I co-starred."
Asked her opinion about fantasy works such as "1001 Nights" she believed that the audience would appreciate it and hoped that more works such as this would be produced. "I noticed great audience reaction from the first promo of the series. This promo was one of the main things that attracted me to the work, and if we go back a few years, when "The Seventh Sense" (El Hassa El Sabaa) which Ahmed El Feshawy starred in and was directed by Ahmed Mekki, was shown in cinemas, audiences didn’t understand it. But it was totally different when it was dramatised on TV when it made everyone laugh out loud!
Referring to the traditional Ramadan riddles or puzzles which audiences asked her to present following her success in an advertising campaign for a soda water company, she said “it would be a very difficult step. The riddles would have to be appropriate for all age-groups. If we talk about children for example, if I wanted to pose a riddle for them, I have to accept that they are well-versed in this technology revolution that surrounds them, so I would have to be careful about the kind of puzzle I set them so that they wouldn't think I am underestimating their intelligence if I introduced a sub-standard puzzle.
When asked about being compared to stars like Mona Zaki, Ghada Adel and Hend Sabry, Donia modestly refused to be placed in the same category, saying that no comparison could be made with actresses who had worked for years before her: "Even though I have been acting for 10 years, as I began acting when I was 16 years old, I took measured steps in my career for 4 or 5 years, then I graduated from my college and then I started out in the cinema ... so I should not compare myself to them.”
Speaking about starring in leading roles after showing great promise in the last few years she said: “The idea is on my mind for sure, but I don't want to take a leading role just for the sake of it, but if I find the right role, I won't hesitate."
Away from her artistic life, Donia explained that she is now living the happiest days of her life with her fiancé, the Egyptian media interviewer Ramy Radwan, describing him as "a very kind person, who takes responsibility" adding that until now, she hasn't found any faults in him.