Leading Egyptian dramatist Faisal Nada dies at 81

Cairo: Celebrated Egyptian dramatist and script writer Faisal Nada died on Tuesday at 81 in Cairo, Egyptian media said. The cause of his death was not immediately given.

Born in the Cairo district of Abdeen in April in 1940, Nada has made a big name in writing dozens of TV serials, stage shows and films, many of them proved immensely popular. His works included comedies and action thrillers.

Nada made his debut as a TV writer in the early 1960s in “An Escapee from Days”, a drama that earned a wide fame.

He also wrote several stage comedies including the hits “The Married People” in 1976 and “Hi Doctor” in 1981, both co-starring Egypt’s most famous comedians Samir Ghanem and George Sedhom.

Nada wrote screen plays for many Egyptian films including “The Three Prisoners”, “End of the Devils”, Forbidden Love”, and “The Rapists”.

A graduate of a commerce school, Nada co-founded the Cairo and Alexandria film festivals, two major annual events in Egypt.

“Art in the Arab world has lost the prominent writer Faisal Nada, the pioneer of cinema, theatrical and television writings,” the Egyptian Association for Cinema Writers and Critics said in a statement. “He belonged to the golden generation of artistic writings in Egypt,” the union added in a statement.

Nada’s funeral was held at noon Tuesday after a special prayer in a mosque in the Cairo quarter of Al Mohandessin.