Dubai: Mohammed Farag did it the hard way. That’s why it looks different. As Arab News sits down with the acclaimed Egyptian actor over lunch in Dubai, the proof is in the way passers-by greet him – they’re not just meeting a star, they’re meeting an artist Whose work they deeply admire.
MBC Shahid’s new series “Room 207” is probably Farrag’s best work yet, and is just starting to light fires across the Arabic-speaking world that – as we speak – firmly establishing her as a leading man. doing, and reaffirming your whole approach to acting.
“If I want to change one thing about this industry, about the mentality of acting in Egypt, it’s this: Anyone can be well known – if I kill someone, I’ll be well known.” yes – but what is the purpose of fame?” Farag says. “Fame shouldn’t be a goal, it should be a side effect.”
Mohd Farrag will be seen in MBC Shahid’s new series ‘Room 207’. (Getty Images)
At 39, Farrag has reached a point where he has earned the right to make such an announcement. After all, he was key to the success of Mona Zaki’s super-sized 2021 Ramadan hit “Newton’s Cradle”, which became the most-watched Egyptian series of the year and continues to find an audience on Netflix, with many calling it the best Arab series. declared. series over the years.
“Room 207,” since its first two episodes debuted on October 31, has been rated even higher, drawing large enough audiences to make the second season a foregone conclusion, even Even with that first half broadcast.
It’s no surprise that a series taking Farrag straight into the limelight would get that kind of immediate response. He has built years of goodwill with committed, scene-stealing performances in film, television and theatre. What is perhaps surprising about the show is that it is a homegrown Egyptian horror series that has become hugely popular. In general, horror is a genre in which only imports are admired in the Arab world.
“When I was first sent the script, I picked it up to watch before I went to bed. I finished it at 3am and immediately called the producers, waking them up from a deep sleep. I told him that no one would do this project except me. I made that promise to him. I needed this to happen,” says Farag.
Riham Abdel Ghafoor and Farrag in ‘Room’ (supplied)
The series is based on a novel by acclaimed Egyptian author Ahmed Khaled Tawfik, the third adaptation of his work since his death in 2018. The last, Netflix’s big-budget bet “Paranormal” (2020), failed to find an audience. A massive publicity push, and while “Room 207” may share a momentary resemblance, it’s resonating in a way that other adaptations haven’t, capturing Taufik’s paperbacks flying off the shelves for decades.
“To be honest, I started feeling like we were headed for a second season during the second week of shooting. And I’ve never felt like this before, ”says Farag. “This project has a very special place in my heart. I don’t want to do anything I don’t like, but it’s special. And it’s not because I’m the hero, it’s because it’s something that It’s not something I’ve seen before. The vibes, the writing, the cast, the way we shoot – I really like it.
Mohd Farrag with Mona Zaki in ‘Newton’s Cradle’. (supply)
Perhaps the reason Farrag is responding to it so strongly is that it taps into the precocious boy he once was, the boy who fell in love with television in the first place.
“When I was a kid, I didn’t want to watch cartoons, I didn’t want to play with my sisters. No, I was always watching TV—but very heavy series made for adults. It was drama, drama and There was more drama. I was like a junkie who was looking for things to grow up in, Farrag says. “When I went to school, they asked every kid what they wanted to be. I said I wanted to be a I wanted to be an actor. I didn’t even know what acting was, but I was determined.”
At home, Farrag and her sisters would watch movies on VHS until they found a scene they particularly liked. Then they would press stop, and Farag would quickly write out the scene from memory. They would then act out scenes together and record their best performances.
“I still have tape recordings of our voices when we were kids. I still listen to them from time to time when I miss the feeling. It was a feeling of innocence, of passion towards acting. They were beautiful memories, and I get emotional whenever I think about them,” says Farrag.
It’s been days since Farrag started his career that he needed those tapes — needed a reminder that he was doing this for a reason. It’s only in recent years, he admits, that he’s really felt like he’s ‘made it.’ For years, he felt insecure not only about his career, but also about his potential, often having difficulty watching his own films and series because of how harshly he judged his own performance. . But his ever-increasing mastery of his craft eventually overcame his self-doubt, and made him a fixture on screens across the Arab world.
“I feel like I have grown up now. Some elements of my character have changed, and it is evident in my life, in my work, and in the way I see myself. Used to hate it, but I have found a way out of it. I started liking myself, and I started being able to look at my work on screen with pride,” he says.
Ferg is in a particularly reflective mood. Perhaps it’s because he walked out of MBC’s offices to see the enthusiastic reactions the company has had to “Room 207” so far, and how committed MBC already was to making a second season — and Farrag’s personally. was committed to being an A-list leading man for years to come. It was the kind of meeting that makes it easier to accept those hard truths, knowing that the happy ending is already here. The boy who recorded his voice on a tape recorder is now helping to take Arabic television places it has never gone before.
“I’ve always loved what I do. Even during the most difficult moments, if I asked myself if I wanted to keep going, the voice inside me always repeated, ‘Yes, yes, yes.’ But it feels different now,” he says. “I’m filled with more pride than ever. I love everything I’ve done, but now I’m even more excited for the next thing. The acting is beautiful, man.