Nadia Lotfi Death Anniv.: How She Remained Fighter Till End

Ahmed Emam

Today, Feb. 4, happens to be the second death anniversary of iconic actress Nadia Lotfi (also known as Baula) who reigned supreme in Egypt's cinema for over five decades, securing a place in the hearts of cine-goers through her remarkable roles. She made the Arab audience laugh and cry with the characters she played.

She made her debut as a young actress in ‘Soultan’ in 1958, as a journalist and the fiancee of Isamm.

Thereafter, she was noticed by another renowned Egypt’s director Youssef Chahine for her charm and innocence and was selected to play a smaller role in Cairo Station, then a significant role of a Frankish woman warrior of the Crusade era, in Naser Salah el Dine movie.

Lotfi is well-known for her seminal works, such as The Impossible, Wonderful Memories, Forever Yours, The Judge of Love, The Sin, and The Private Teacher.

Throughout her life, Lotfi, known in the 1960s and 1970s for her smoldering performances on the silver screen, had complicated feelings about her gorgeous face. Her unparalleled beauty had made her the inspiration for many magazines and newspapers.

Soon, Lotfi underwent treatment for brain cancer at a specialized hospital in the US. According to her family and friends, the late actress didn’t like to discuss her illness. Her willpower to fight was strong.

On her arrival, she threw a press congress to announce that she was restored to face the camera again. She gave many hits in 1969 like El Momia aka The Night of Counting the Years.

Though years away from getting Palestinian President Yasser Arafat's scarf and "the great star of the Jerusalem Medal" in recognition of her role in supporting the Palestinian cause, Lotfi dedicated the rest of her life to raising and promoting social justice, human ethics, and children’s rights in the world.

During the Six-days war invasion, she also played a public role in bolstering the war effort by traveling to many Arab and world cities to support the Egyptian army.

Moreover, the Egyptian artist invaded the Israeli siege of Beirut in 1982 and lived with the Palestinian resistance in her trenches throughout the difficult siege days to contribute to raising their morale.