Egyptian teledramatist, Osama Anwar Oksha, best known for hit TV serials, died early Friday after a long bout with illness. He was 69. Born in the Delta town of Tanta in 1941, Okasha studied sociology at the faculty of arts in Cairo and became a government employee until 1982 when he changed his career to writing, which has made an indelible mark on Arab drama. His first popular serial was "Al Shahed Wal Duma" (Honey and Tears). Okasha, who has around TV serials to his name, catapulted to fame across the Arab world in mid-1980s when his six-part epic serial Laili el-Helmia were shown. The blockbuster work traces the ups and downs of several families against turbulent socio, economic and political in Egypt since the World War 11. Okasha, who got the prestigious State Merit Award for Arts in 2008, built on his fame by writing the screenplays of several Egyptian films, which further explored changes in Egypt. In recent years, he wrote articles in opposition newspapers, especially in Al Wafd newspaper, criticised policies of the Egyptian Government. Earlier this month, President Hosni Mubarak ordered that Okasha receive medical treatment at the expense of the State. He is credited with reshaping the TV drama landscape in the Arab world.
