Egyptian veteran actress, Paula Mohamed Mostafa Shafiq, known as Nadia Lutfi, passed away earlier Tuesday at the age of 83, after a struggle with illness.
Details regarding the consolation marquee and the funeral have not been revealed yet.
Life and Career
Lutfi was one of Egypt’s most prominent actresses. She was known for her acting talent, outstanding beauty, and great manners as well as for her impressive list of cinema and television roles.
She was born in Cairo’s Abdeen district on January 3, 1937. Lutfi started acting as a hobby; when she was 10 years old she participated in a play at her school and did very well.
When the 24-year-old was about to make her screen debut in 1958, the current “it couple” Omar Sharif and his wife, Egyptian superstar Faten Hamama had just had a smash hit with the film” La Anam” with Hamama as “Nadia Lotfy”, a willful teen who destroys her father’s marriage – a name which Young Paula fell in love with and decided that she would go by.
With her new name, the young actress was spotted by director Ramsis Naguib, and she took her first role in a modest, black & white drama, Soultan in 1958.
Her second film was in a smaller role in one of the film landmarks of its time, Cairo Station.
In 1963, she played a Frankish woman warrior of the Crusade era, who went into battle against her Christian-Arab lover, in the film “Naser Salah el Din” (occasionally shown in the US TV as “Saladin and the Great Crusades”).
She starred in several films with Soad Hosni, such as “Lil-Rigal Faqat” (for men only), and Al-Saba’ Banat (The Seven Girls).
Many do not that the late actress was married three times. Lutfi tied the knot for the first time when she was twenty, to a naval officer Adel Al-Bashari, who is the father of her only son Ahmed.
She got married for the second time to engineer Ibrahim Sadiq Shafiq, and the third was from Mohamed Sabri.
The late actress was keen during her career to take care of her only son, whom she described in one of her interviews as "the hope of her life".
Legacy
In the 1970s, her career wound down as Egypt’s “Golden Age” for films came to a close. Having made close to 50 films in the first 11 years of her career, she only made three in the decade that followed and has not worked in film since 1981.
During her career, she participated in many films that were based on famous literary works, including Ihsan Abdel Quddus's "The Dark Glasses".
She had also presented many outstanding roles such as, "The Seven Girls", "Naser Salah el Din", "The sins", "Enemy Brothers", and others.
Last Appearance
The last media appearance for the legendary actress was on her birthday, which falls on January 3. She celebrated her birthday with many celebrities including, Elham Shahin, who gave her a special celebration in the hospital.
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Her last station
Lutfi has been transferred days ago into the intensive care unit (ICU). Later, she was transferred to a regular room after her health condition was stabilized.
The actress’s doctor had ordered her to be admitted again to the intensive care inside Maadi Hospital after her health condition had somewhat declined.
Lutfi was on a respirator as she suffered shortness of breath as a result of some complications resulting from cold, as well as suffering from other symptoms.
Farewell Nadia Lutfi, you will be dearly missed...
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