Mona Zaki Not to Participate in Ramadan 2024

Egyptian actress Mona Zaki will not participate in the Ramadan 2024 drama marathon due to being busy with several upcoming film productions.

Zaki is set to star alongside actor Karim Abdel Aziz in the film "Leeb Eyal". The film hails from director Tarek Al Eryan and reunites Zaki and Abdel Aziz for the first time in 14 years.

"Leeb Eyal" marks the pair's third collaboration after working on films "Waleed EL Emm" (2009), and "Abo Aly" (2005).

The film is set to begin production after Al Eryan finishes shooting the long-awaited film "Welad Rizk 3: El Qadya" and Abdel Aziz completes shooting the TV series “Al-Hashashin”.

Zaki is also set to collaborate with her husband and fellow Egyptian actor Ahmed Helmy in the film "Lessa Heta". The project is a light romantic comedy penned by Helmy and marks the first collaboration between the beloved couple after an absence of 20 years. They last collaborated in the 2003 film "Sahar El Layaly".

She is also reteaming up with her longtime collaborator Mohamed Henedy in the film “Al Gawahergy”. The film witnesses the first collaboration between Henedy and Zaki after 25 years. They last starred together in the 1998 film “Saidi at the American University”.

“Al Gawahergy” also stars Lebleba, Ahmed El Saadany, Tara Emad, and others.

Zaki made her last cinematic appearance in the 2021 film “The Spider”.

Zaki participated last Ramadan with the TV series “ Taht El Wasaya”.

It also starred Diab, Nisreen Amin, Rushdi Al Shami, Maha Nassar, Khaled Kamal, Mohamed Abdel Azim, and others.

Director Mohamed Shaker Khodeir is helming the project from a script by screenwriters Khaled and Sherine Diab.

The series follows the hardship and challenges of a widow (Zaki) as she cares for her home and two children.

“Taht El Wasaya” consisted of 15 episodes and was screened during the Ramadan 2023 drama marathon on "DMC" drama.

The series achieved great success during the premiere, and Zaki was honored for her performance by the National Council for Women (NCW).

Zaki, born on November 18, 1976, started her acting career at the age of 16 when Egyptian actor-director Mohamed Sobhi was searching for new faces. She applied hoping to meet Sobhi and was cast by him for her first acting role in his play “Bel Araby El Faseeh”.

She later co-starred in several hit TV series such as “El A’elah”, “Khalti Safiya wel Deir”, “Nisf Rabi’ El Akhar”, “Ahalina”, “Ded El Tayyar”, and “El Daw’ El Sharid”.

Zaki also co-starred in several plays, among which were “Le’b Eyal”, “Ya Messafer Wahdak”, “Afrouto”, and “Keda OK”.

In 2001, she received an award from Gihan El Sadat, the wife of former president Anwar El Sadat, for portraying her in the masterpiece film “Ayam El Sadat” (Days of El Sadat).

Zaki was awarded the Faten Hamama Prize for Excellency at the opening ceremony of the 42nd Cairo International Film Festival in 2020.