Ras El Afaa, Hekayet Nargis & Manaa bring real-life stories to TV drama

The series Ras El Afaa, Hekayet Nargis, and Manaa bring the most gripping real-life stories to TV drama filled with shocking twists, unforgettable moments, and drama you cannot look away from. 

The series Hekayet Nargis, starring Riham Abdel Ghafour, tells the story of a woman who suffers from infertility and faces intense social and marital pressure. In her desperation to experience motherhood, she builds a web of lies that eventually leads her to kidnap children to create the illusion of a family. This path turns her life into a tragic and complex story.

The drama closely echoes the real case of Aziza El-Saadawy, widely known in the media as Aziza “Bent Eblis.” In 1992, security forces raided her home in Arish, North Sinai, where an 11-year-old boy named Islam had been living with her, believing she was his mother. During the investigation, Aziza shocked authorities by confessing that the children living with her were not her own but had been kidnapped as infants.

Originally from Alexandria, Aziza had reportedly endured years of ridicule because she could not have children. Investigations later revealed that she pretended to be pregnant by stuffing her clothes and would then search hospitals for victims. Disguised as a health worker, she targeted vulnerable mothers and abducted newborns, later pretending she had just given birth and even obtaining official birth certificates for the children.

Authorities discovered that Islam was one of several kidnapped children, and the case later exposed a network involved in abducting and selling babies. While most of the children were eventually returned to their real families after Aziza’s arrest, Islam’s true identity remained unknown because she refused to reveal who his biological parents were.

Ras El Afaa, Hekayet Nargis and Manaa Bring Real Life Stories to Ramadan Screens 

The similarities between this real-life case and the storyline of Hekayet Nargis highlight how the series draws inspiration from the chilling story of Aziza “Bent Eblis,” a woman who kidnapped children to live the illusion of motherhood.

The series “Manaa” is inspired by the real-life story of Nabaweya Abdel Tawab, famously known as “Manaa,” the “Empress of El-Batniya,” one of the most notorious drug dealers in Cairo’s Batniya district. Nabaweya grew up in the tough environment of Batniya, where her father was involved in the drug trade. Although she initially sought a simple and stable life, marrying and raising four children, her life took a dramatic turn after the sudden death of her husband. At first, she tried to earn an honest living by selling vegetables and fruit. However, mounting financial pressures eventually pushed her into the drug trade after a dealer persuaded her to work with him, relying on her family’s background in the business. Thanks to her intelligence and ability to navigate the dangerous underworld, Nabaweya quickly rose through the ranks, controlling a significant part of the local drug market. Her rise eventually drew the attention of authorities, and after years of pursuit, she was arrested and sentenced to 10 years in prison, where she later expressed remorse and repentance.

The series “Manaa” draws from this true story, portraying a woman who is pushed by harsh circumstances, the death of her husband, and the need to provide for her children into entering the drug trade, much like the real-life journey of Nabaweya Abdel Tawab.

Ras El Afaa is inspired by real events, particularly the security operation known as “Head of the Snake,” which ultimately led to the arrest of Mahmoud Ezzat, often described as the hidden face who controlled key aspects of the Muslim Brotherhood organization. The drama draws from the Egyptian National Security’s pursuit of Ezzat following the June 30 Revolution, highlighting his alleged role in managing the organization from behind the scenes during one of the most turbulent periods in the group’s history. The series follows National Security officers leading complex operations to track terrorist cells linked to the Muslim Brotherhood that were planning bombings and assassinations. It portrays how these terrorist groups relied on secret networks for planning and recruitment before security forces succeeded in infiltrating them and foiling their attacks. The show also revisits real incidents, including the assassination of former Egyptian Public Prosecutor Hisham Barakat, and the subsequent operation led to the arrest of those responsible for the attack.