A new biopic dramatizing the life of legendary Egyptian singer Umm Kulthum has sparked controversy even before its wider release. “The Six,” starring Mona Zaki, has drawn sharp criticism from prominent Egyptian media personality Sayed Ali, who publicly denounced the film as a disappointing and damaging portrayal of a national icon. Ali’s comments, made during his “Hadret El Mowaten” program, ignited a debate over the film’s artistic license and its depiction of the singer frequently enough referred to as “The Star of the East.”
فيلم الست – صورة أرشيفية
فيلم الست – صورة أرشيفية
Egyptian media personality Sayed Ali has publicly criticized the new biopic “The Six,” which chronicles the life of iconic singer Umm Kulthum and stars Mona Zaki in the lead role.
During his program “Hadret El Mowaten” on the “Al Hadath Al Youm” channel, Ali stated that anyone who has seen “The Six” is left feeling disappointed.
“I’m not a film critic, but they couldn’t find a flaw in the rose… There are only a few Umm Kulthums in Egypt and the entire Arab world, so why make a two-and-a-half-hour film about someone who was, frankly, shallow, foolish, and opportunistic, singing to the drunkards?” he said.
He continued, “Every negative attribute you can imagine has been said about Umm Kulthum. Umm Kulthum, the founder, the legend, a symbol of Egypt. And now, the time has come for foreign productions to distort the image of Umm Kulthum, and with Egyptian hands!”
Ali further criticized Zaki and director Marwan Hamed, saying, “I blame Mona Zaki and Marwan Hamed. You received a script, read it! You’re not puppets. It’s unacceptable to portray Umm Kulthum as shallow or opportunistic. Why are you trying to tear down all of Egypt’s symbols, and for whose benefit?”
