Yousra: A Character Statement

Egyptian megastar Yousra competed in this Ramadan’s drama marathon with Ahlam Saeeda (Happy Dreams), playing the role of Farida. Egypt Today chatted with Yousra about her foray into TV comedy and her experience playing the funny, snobbish yet kind character audiences have come to love since the series began airing at the beginning of the month. 

1-Tell us more about Farida in Ahlam Saeeda

Farida is different from all the characters I have played before, but I prefer to leave the audience to give their feedback about her. All I can say is that I wanted to present a comic character this year and Farida fulfilled my wish.

2-What was it like cooperating for the first time with Hala Khalil as a scriptwriter? 

I am delighted to work with Hala Khalil in her first comic series and in general I am happy with the whole experience, especially that I got to work with a number of young talented comedians.

3-You are always keen to help and support the entire cast. What was it like behind the scenes of the series? 

The whole cast were really great, behind the scenes was lots of fun and we were all helping each other. Having several comedians in one show helped very much in increasing the comic dosage of Ahlam Saeeda.

4-Ahlam Saeeda is a female lead series. To what extent did his help in creating a comic setting? 

It is true that Ahlam Saeeda is a female lead series, and the friendship between these ladies created a lot of funny situations. The series housed a bunch of talented female stars including the adorable Ghada Adel who perfectly embodied the role of Sherine , Mai Kassab who is a great actress and comedian, the hilarious Shaimaa Seif who made us all laugh in all of her scenes. Ans also Outaka, Entissar, Hisham Ismail, Hamdy El Merghany, and Samy Meghawery are all strong comedians who added a lot to Ahlam Saeeda.

5-Amr Arafa is a director who is famous for his acclaimed comedy works. What was it like working with him on this series? 

Amr Arafa is my lifetime friend and we have shared together unforgettable memories. Arafa was the production supervisor of the only movie I produced “Dehek wi Leb wi Gad wi Hob” and being a producer was so hectic for me that I decided not to repeat experience, but Arafa helped me a lot in this movie with his great artistic capabilities. We also worked together on “Saraya Abdeen.” Arafa is a renowned director, who knows how to direct his cast to provide the best performance and he did that with all of us.

6-Every Ramadan viewers eagerly wait to see what Yousra will be presenting. Does that put pressure on you?

I always have a huge feeling of responsibility and continuously work hard to entertain and please the audience by presenting high-quality work, whatever the genre whether comedy, tragedy or social drama.

7-It is hard to please all viewers, how do you deal with this? 

You are definitely right, I can’t please the entire audience with their different taste but I exert the maximum effort so that my conscience is satisfied because it is always my guide. Satisfying the audience is undoubtedly difficult, but if the audience loves an artist, they will love him or her unconditionally and have absolute admiration for him or her. The audience’s love is the energy that always pushes the artist forward.

8-You’ve been known to sometimes interfere in the script. Can such interference negatively affect the work? 

Of course not, as long as my suggestions don’t change the general context of the script. Sometimes I see that I have the right to interfere as I have experience that allows me to do so.

9-How do you evaluate the role digital platforms currently play in the filmmaking industry?

Digital platforms were able to open many doors for all people to present their work without the need to wait for long periods of time.The idea of ​presenting 10-episode series is an excellent idea that breaks from the boredom of the long series.