Should biopics and epics be fictionalised and to what extent, bearing in mind that they could damage the reputation of the protagonists? Egypt's celebrated actor Yehia el- Fakhrani is now facing this controversial question for starring in the new serial Sheikh el-Arab Hammam, named after the powerful head of a big family in Upper Egypt, who allegedly ruled Upper Egypt unchallenged from 1765 to 1769. Dubbed as Sheikh el-Arab (the absolute authority), the ruler, Hammam Ibn Youssef, carved his name in history, when his contemporaries and descendants insisted that he defeated 67 rival tribes to impose his authority on the entire south of the country. Much criticism has been levelled against the TV serial, which is currently being shown this Ramadan, by the legendary Sheikh's descendants in the Upper Egyptian city of Qena. But el-Fakhrani, who is very popular with Upper Egyptians, has appealed to the grumbling family not to judge the serial passionately and prematurely. “The anger in some families in Upper Egypt is misplaced and premature,” el- Fakhrani says in defending his integrity as an actor. The celebrated actor with the baby face argues that it's too soon to pass judgement on the serial. “People need to watch several episodes,” he says, adding that he's confident that his admirers will send thank-you letters to the scriptwriter. Nor does el-Fakhrani want to discuss allegations that the fiction in the serial overshadows the reality. “Sheikh el-Arab Hammam was an extraordinary man,” he says. Immediately after flipping through the pages of the script and discovering the heroism, chivalry and statesmanship in Hammam, el-Fakhrani told the production company he was ready to sign the contract. He has appealed to his critics not to mistake the serial for a biopic. “Sheikh el-Arab Hammam is not a televised biography,” he explains. “His story has been fictionalised heavily as it is customary in drama.” The scriptwriter, Abdel-Rahim Kamal, has also been under fire because of this serial. Its credibility must have been violently shaken when a veteran media figure, a descendant of Sheikh el-Arab Hammam, accused the scriptwriter of not doing his homework. Fahmi Omar, a celebrity in the Egyptian media community, says that the scriptwriter should have talked with him and his relatives, who would have given him the true story of their illustrious forebear. “For example, the scriptwriter has overlooked the role of the Sheikh in helping his tribe, Al-Hawarah, in Qena,” adds Omar, a highly-thought-of sports commentator on the radio, denying that Sheikh el-Arab Hammam was unjust in the measures he used to quell his revolting rival tribes.
