Cairo: Prominent Egyptian film director Mohammad Khan, known for works based on social and political issues, died on Tuesday in Cairo, official television reported. He was 73.
Khan passed away at a Cairo hospital to which he had been taken following a sudden unspecified health problem.
Born in Cairo in October 1942 to a Pakistani father and an Egyptian mother, Khan studied in Britain before returning to Cairo in 1963 to begin his film career as a scriptwriter.
In 1978, he directed his first commercial film Shams’ Stroke, which marked the birth of a generation of filmmakers in Egypt known as neorealists.
During his career, Khan directed 24 films, several of them are considered among the Egyptian cinema classics.
They include Al Hareef (The Prof), a 1984 production about a disillusioned football street player; and the 1987 film The Wife of An Important Man, revolving around police abuses.
His 2001 Days of Sadat, dramatising life of late Egyptian president Anwar Al Sadat, was a box office hit and critically acclaimed
Khan received a top award at the 2013 Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF).
“RIP Mohammad Khan, the iconic Egyptian director and the master of cinema realism. His vibrant and honest films reflected the lives of people, touched the hearts of everyone who watched and inspired generations of filmmakers. He will be deeply missed and forever remembered,” DIFF wrote on its Facebook page.
In 2014, he received Egyptian citizenship under a presidential decree, capping a legal battle he started years earlier.
Children born to Egyptian women married to foreigners used to have difficulty in obtaining their mothers’ nationality until a relevant law was amended in 2004.
“Mohammad Khan was one of the greatest directors who presented Egypt in his films,” said celebrated scriptwriter Medhat Al Adl. “Unfortunately, he obtained Egyptian citizenship only recently,” Al Adl added in a tweet.
Khan’s last film is Before the Summer Crowds, which was released in Egypt some months ago.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Mohamed Khan," said Abdulhamid Juma, the chairman of the Dubai International Film Festival (Diff).
"An iconic director with a celebrated and acclaimed career spanning six decades, he touched many hearts and minds with his rich and meaningful portrayals of Egyptian life.
"A longtime friend of the festival, his support, talent and knowledge will always be cherished by those who were fortunate to have been in his presence,
“It was a great honour that we were able to host Mr Khan this past year for the world premiere of his last film Before the Summer Crowds and he wowed crowds at the 10th edition with his award-sweeping feature Factory Girl. He will be sorely missed and our thoughts are with his family during this difficult time.”
A special funeral prayer was held for Khan at noon in a Cairo mosque before his burial.
He is survived by wife Wessam Sulaiman, a scriptwriter, and daughter Nadeen, who is a film director.
