Actress Ghada Abdel-Razeq is honoured to be compared with Nadia El-Guindi in her forthcoming television role, she tells kamal Sultan Ghada Abdel-Razeq once envisaged a career far removed from acting: she holds a degree in computer sciences. This changed when she became a fashion model in the early 1990s and then landed a role in the film Lamada (Talking Back) directed by Mohamed Abdel-Aziz. She realised, however, that the cinema was not her best career choice at that time and opted for the small screen, taking parts in popular shows including Aelat Al-Haj Metwalli (The Family of Haj Metwalli) with actor Nour El-Sherif; Masaalat Mabdaa (Matter of Principle ) with actress Elham Shahin; Mahmoud Al-Masri (Mahmoud the Egyptian ) with actor Mahmoud Abdel-Aziz; and Awlad Al-Leil (Children of the Night ) with Syrian actor Gamal Suleiman. Having established herself as a television star, Abdel-Razeq again tried her luck on the big screen, starring in Tesein Deqiqa (90 minutes ); Zayy Al-Hawa (As if in Love); Awdat Al-Nadla (Return of the Jerk); Leilet Al-Baby Doll (Night of the Baby Doll); Azmat Sharaf (Sharaf's Predicament); and Khamsa wa Arbein Yom (45 days). Abdel-Razeq began a new phase in her career when she started working with director Khaled Youssef, who gave her powerful roles in his films Hina Maysara (Till Further Notice), Al-Rayyes Omar Harb (Chief Omar Harb), and Dokkan Shehata (Shehata's Store). Now an established star, Abdel-Razeq trod the boards for the first time in a musical at the Balloon Theatre directed by Abdel-Rahman Al-Shafei. Another play followed, Taraeiu (Firecrackers), with the comedian Mohamed Heneidi. Now Abdel-Razeq is back on the small screen with two new shows. Al-Batniya is about a neighbourhood near Al-Azhar, and is a television adaptation of a film with the same title starring Nadia El-Guindi. The other show is Qanoun El-Maraghi (El-Maraghi's Law) with Khaled El-Sawi. "I am very happy to be cooperating once more with scriptwriter Mustafa Moharram and director Mohamed El-Naqli in Al-Batniya," says Abdel-Razeq. She plays the part of Warda, a girl who starts out selling tea and gets herself involved in problems because of her overriding ambition. She ends up marrying the son (played by Ahmed Floukas) of a drug dealer (Salah El-Saadani) and eventually becomes a drug dealer herself. "In the other show, Qanoun El-Maraghi, I play a totally different role. I am a lawyer who defends the downtrodden," Abdel-Razeq says. The show is written by Azza Shalabi and directed by Ahmed Abdel-Hamid. Khaled El-Sawi, Nour Qadri, and Khaled Mahmoud star alongside Abdel-Razeq. Playing a role once acted by the immensely popular Nadia El-Guindi could present challenges, but Abdel-Razeq is not worried. "The scriptwriter Mustafa Moharram is not following the exact story of the original script. He is focussing more on the situation in the country at the time. My role has many more events and details than the part El-Guindi played. You can't compare a two-hour film with a production in 30 episodes. At any rate, I would be honoured to be compared with El-Guindi," Abdel-Razeq says. Last Ramadan, Abdel-Razeq presented a television programme with the actress Hala Fakher, Doyouf Rayya We Sekina (Guests of Rayya and Sekina). "It was a great opportunity to work with my friend Hala Fakher, who by the way suggested the idea for the programme," Abdel-Razeq told Al-Ahram Weekly. "I liked the idea right away, but I was initially hesitant, because it was a new experience to me. But the programme was mostly acting, which made me agree to do it. However, I wouldn't do it again, since it's not really my cup of tea." Abdel-Razeq is upbeat about Tareeq Al-Khoaf (Road of Fear), a show that proved less popular than expected last year. "The show was a great success," she says. "The problem is that it was screened solely on Channel One, so it had no chance of becoming popular. When it was screened on the Nile Drama channel later on, everyone liked it. As far as I know, it was the first show to address human fear in a scientific way. And I am very proud of my role in this show. Almost everyone I know gave me positive feedback about it."
