“I love heritage works, and I always represent the saying of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan: He who has no past, has no present and no future.” In these phrases, the Emirati artist Khalaf Al-Ahbabi initiated his dialogue with “Emirates Today”, pointing out the importance of presenting dramatic works, It is based on the Emirati heritage, values ​​and customs that are passed on to the new generation, in order to urge them to continue on the path of parents and grandparents.

He stressed the necessity of «local drama adherence to presenting successful and influential heritage works, without giving up its constant endeavor to activate the renewal experience in presenting and presenting topics that contribute to its continuity, and ensuring the public’s interest in it, despite the domestic drama’s problems related to weakness The budgets allocated, and limited to the month of Ramadan ».

Al-Ahbabi added that he does not focus on the financial return, through his work in art, which he sees as a message to address large segments of the audience, revealing that he is looking forward to present complex roles, test his true talent, and reflect his ability to embody the most difficult characters «I am still waiting for complex roles, especially Evil roles, which highlight various aspects of the actor's expressive abilities, and enable him to act as tools.

Reality and challenges

Al-Ahbabi justified the lack of Emirati dramas produced throughout the year by the small number of Emirati drama writers. Concerning its limitation to the month of Ramadan, and the resort of its producers to the traditional comic works, he said: “The public does not seem ready to pursue dramas that abound with stories of disobedience and social problems, while we must also look at the high production cost of this quality, compared to the traditional works, which need to One photography site, compared to dozens of photography sites imposed by contemporary works and their high budgets.

He added, "Let us admit that we are in reality suffering from a crisis of weak budgets allocated to the production of local dramas that have become bothering Emirati producers, and thus push them to reduce the wages of Emirati drama stars."

He described his personal experience, saying: “Because art is my primary hobby, which I practice masterfully on both sides of my basic work, and the purposeful message that I address to large audiences, I do not bear much focus on material return, which cannot be seen as a prerequisite at the expense of dramatic work as a whole. This makes me eager to diversify my experiences in art, and to gain more experience that enables me to present myself appropriately to my audience. ”

At the same time, he paused on the issue of his prior approval of all TV works presented by Emirati writer Jamal Salem, given the enjoyment of these works, according to his opinion, with a remarkable artistic level, whether in terms of text, dramatic structure or even the ideas presented: «There is no doubt that The actor has the right to think about the issue of material remuneration, but the real artist thinks about the importance of participating in strong dramatic works, which establishes for his artistic career such as the texts of Jamal Salem, who is a writer who is capable of his tools, and is able to present the character that suits the capabilities of each actor, and thus, making real stars In every TV business. ”

Daring and renewing

About most of his television posts are limited to heritage works, Khalaf Al-Ahbabi added: “Although a number of my roles were confined to the heritage figures with a comic flair, which I managed to embody in many works, but I succeeded in overcoming the (molding) barrier, and on several occasions I was able to present Contemporary and completely different roles in form and content, reaping the praise and acceptance of the audience, the most prominent of which was the character (shrieking) in the series (similar to the wind), and other works ».

He continued, "My mastery of the old Emirati dialect, which mixes colloquial and Bedouin vocabulary, may be one of the most important reasons that prompted some producers to present me with this image, given that I am from the city of Al Ain, and my mastery of the dialect of its people that adds to my success in drawing smiles and creating the most beautiful (elias). ) Comedies in a distinct way in most of the heritage and comedies that I have presented to this day. ”

And on the echoes of his participation in the series “Bint Soghan”, which was shown last Ramadan, Al-Ahbabi considered that standing next to Emirati drama stars always encourages him to present the best, which is something the artist does not see again, explaining: “I have stood since 2002 alongside the most important stars Emirati drama, and this always makes me feel happy and proud always. ”

“He is very happy with the fingerprint that (Gharib) left in the series, in which she moved away from the direct comic soul, and relied on reactions and ways to solve problems left by his little boy in (Al-Fareej), just like the character (judge) in the series (Tawash) that was Submit with privacy. ”

Gulf projects

Al-Ahbabi revealed his preparation for a new work, bringing him together with an elite group of stars, in his first Gulf participation, considering this new opportunity “an actual starting gate towards broader participation in these works, which thus contribute to presenting his talent on a wide scale that goes beyond local drama.”

Between theater and cinema

Khalaf Al-Ahbabi, who is considered one of the founders of Al-Ain Theater, said that his refusal to participate in theatrical works is due to the conditions imposed by the pandemic "Corona". "The vision is not yet clear to present new artwork, but we must remain optimistic about new works, definitely in the coming period," he added.

• “Since 2002, I have stood by the most important stars of Emirati drama, and this always makes me happy and proud.”

• "We are suffering from a crisis of weak budgets for the production of local dramas."

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