Former screen celebrities make comeback in scarf

Cairo: After donning the hijab and skirting the limelight for years, several Egyptian actresses are making their comeback in TV serials this Ramadan, when viewership usually peaks.

They include Soheir Ramzi, who had built her fame as a sex symbol in local films before she called it quits and adopted the hijab 14 years ago.

"My return is not prompted by a desire to be back in the limelight. I am back to remove my old image, which was based on good looks only," Soheir said at recent press meet.

She appears this Ramadan wearing the headscarf in the family TV soap opera Habib Al Rouh (The Soul Mate).

"I decided to come back to prove that by playing serious and well-conceived roles, I could set a good example for others," she added. In the serial, Ramzi portrays a well-educated wife and a caring mother, who is also active in society. "This sends a message that wearing the hijab alone is not enough for the Muslim woman. She has to play an influential role in society too," she explained.

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Over the past years, several Egyptian actresses quit the profession and adopted the hijab. Some have become hosts of religious shows on TV.

"Those actresses had given up acting as a form of repentance on the grounds that art is against religion," said writer Ebrahim Abdul Meguid.

"Their retirement with the hype, which accompanied it, damaged the culture of moderation. Now they are back and setting their terms," he told Gulf News.

Many returnees demanded their parts in TV serials be re-written to ensure they are "not against the teachings of Islam", according to a scriptwriter who asked not to be named.

He added that the hijab-wearing actresses were highly paid to be lured back to the screen. "They received in the tune of 3 million pounds [about Dh1.9 million] each, which is a phenomenal figure by Egyptian standards."

The Islamic headdress is widely popular among women in the predominantly Muslim country.

Critic Tareq Al Shenawi believes the comeback of these actresses is due to fierce rivalry among producers who want to cash in on the high viewership rates during Ramadan. "One producer started the trend and others followed suit," he told Gulf News.

"Producers think the audience would be curious to see the actresses performing in the hijab after long years of absence." But Al Shenawi argued that "the curiosity would soon fade and the returnees would be judged by their performance, not appearance".