Hannah El Zahed Reveals Near-Death Experience Shooting Film "El Shater"

Egyptian actress Hannah El Zahed had a near brush with death while shooting scenes for her latest film, "El Shater."

In a recent conversation with "Al Arabiya" satellite TV Channel, El Zahed recalled she nearly drowned in a scene underwater,  which required her to float and to stay put, she was tied down with iron.

"People thought I was swimming, but the truth was, I was drowning," she explained. "The iron was very heavy, and I couldn't get to the surface on my own. They thought I was getting out, but I was actully dying,".

"I was scared filming this scene," El Zahed noted, something common with her co-actor Mostafa Gharieb, who affirmed: "We were all scared of the scene. The only one who wasn't scared was Amir Karara."

Karara explained that there was no cause for concern due to the professional divers underwater with them while shooting the scene, adding that El Zahed was feeling scared as the weight of the iron was too much for her.

Released on July 16, the pic sees Karara returning to the action comedy genre for the second time since 2023's film "Baebae" (The Bogeyman).

Ahmed El Gendy directed the film from a script he co-wrote with Karim Youssef.

"El Shater" is co-produced by Synergy Films and Pyramids Productions and marks the first collaboration between Karara and El Zahed. 

The official logline for the film reads: "Adham (Karara) goes on an adventure and comedy trip to search for his brother with his friend Fattouh (Gharib) in Turkiye. During the trip, he meets Carmen (El Zahed), whose life changes 180 degrees after meeting her."

The pic is competing at the box office with other films released around the same time, including "Ahmed and Ahmed," starring Ahmed El Sakka and Ahmed Fahmy; "Darwish," starring Amr Youssef and Dina El Sherbiny; and "Rocky El Ghalaba," starring Donia Samir Ghanem and Mohamed Mamdouh.