Remembering Kamal El-Shenawy on His Birth Anniv.

Today, December 26th, marks the birth anniversary of the legendary Egyptian actor Kamal El-Shenawy.

Kamal El-Shenawy's contributions to the Egyptian film industry have been invaluable, and his illustrious career boasted several major projects. The late actor was raised in the Sayda Zainab district of Cairo, where he held exhibitions and worked as an art teacher for two years. However, he turned to acting in 1947 with the film "Ghany Harb" (Riches of War).

El-Shenawy excelled in academics, and his first job was that of a teacher. Later, he took up the role of an art instructor, and after a year, he joined a music institution. El-Shennawy was always interested in arts and theater and decided to try his luck in films in the late 1940s.

The actor made his cinematic debut with 1948's 'Immortality,' but it was 'The Punishment' that made him popular. The film is not only a significant milestone in his career, but it also put the Egyptian movie on the map of Arab cinema. From entering movies at the age of 25 to reigning in the industry for two decades with his exceptional movies, El-Shennawy lived an extraordinary life.

He was well-known for his notable works, such as 'Al Less Wal Kelab' (The Thief and the Dogs), which is based on a novel by Naguib Mahfouz; the political thriller 'Al Hareb' (The Fugitive) written by Raafat El Meehy; 'Al Karnak,' also based on a novel by Naguib Mahfouz, and 'Al Ragol Alazy Faqad Zeloh' (The Man Who Lost His Shadow). He was also known for being humble and friendly with his colleagues in the film industry. He enjoyed a massive fan-following, who continue to remember him on social media.

His last film was ZAZA (2008, Aly AbdelKhalik) before he passed away in 2011.