Cairo: Veteran Egyptian actress Kareema Mukhtar, best known for playing the caring mother in dozens of television, cinema and stage productions, died on Thursday night, state television reported.
She was 82. Mukhtar, who launched an acting career in the 1950s, died in a Cairo hospital after months of bad health, the broadcaster added. Her death came a few days before her 83rd birthday.
Born on January 16, 1943 in the Upper Egyptian province of Assiut, Mukhtar started her career in radio dramas. She made her cinema debut in “The Price of Freedom”, a 1967 political thriller directed by her husband Nour Al Demerdash.
Later, Mukhtar appeared in several films including the 1974 classic “The Grandson” in which she portrayed a mother of a middle class Egyptian family. Her last film was “One Hour and Half”, a train thriller shown in 2014.
Mukhtar performed in a large number of television serials, including the 2007 widely popular soap “Raised in Opulence” opposite accomplished actor Yehia Al Fakharani. In the serial, which generated public and critical applause in Egypt, Mukhtar portrayed the mother of a womaniser played by Al Fakharani.
Her performance in “Raised in Opulence” earned her several Egyptian awards. She had since been nicknamed “Mama Nona”, the name of her character in the soap.
Her last TV work was “Spoilt Girls” in which she played the role of the heroine’s aunt.
“This was one of the obstacles I faced in my career,” Mukhtar once said in a TV interview, commenting on her portrayals of the mother. “I did not feel angry and decided to challenge everyone by presenting the mother on the screen. Positive reactions have made me happy and convinced me that I have made success in this role.”
Mukhtar’s physical appearance made her a perfect representative on the screen of the everyday Egyptian mother.
Her death prompted state and private TV stations to broadcast several programmes eulogising her acting talents and highlighting milestones in her career.
“I delivered my message. There is nothing in my life of which I am ashamed,” she was quoted by head of the Actors’ Union Ashraf Zaki as saying days before her death.
Mukhtar is survived by four children, including celebrated TV host Mo’etaz Al Demerdash.
