Today Marks Nadia Lotfi's Birth Anniv.

Today marks the 86th birth anniversary of the legendary star Nadia Lotfi, fondly known as Paula. One of the amazing actresses of Egyptian cinema, who charmed the audiences and became famous for her stint in Saladin (1963).

In an illustrious career of over 4 decades, she worked with iconic actors and filmmakers like Abdel Halim Hafiz, Rushdi Abaza, Yossif Shahin, and Hassan Yossif. She was also cited as the most beautiful actress in the 1950s.

Lotfy was born to an Egyptian father and an Egyptian mother called Fatmaat at the Italian Hospital in Cairo on 3 January 1937.

She enrolled in the German school in Cairo, where in addition to other languages she learned Polish. This enabled her to escort a polish actors’ delegation to Cairo, something for which she became a celebrity for some time.

The photos of her published in Egyptian magazines and newspapers drew attention to her beauty, and they were the source of the rumors, incidentally, to the day she died.

Her favorite and ideal names on the other hand were Laila and Nadia; she was inspired by the heroine of Ihsan Abdel-Quddous’s novel 'la Anam' (Sleepless), lofty, especially when producer-director Ramses Naguib offered her a lead in his film Sultan.

The late remarkable actress had to defy her father’s refusal that she should become an actress. He was an open-minded man but this was too much for him.

When Naguib suggested that she should pick a stage name that was both Arab and simpler than Paula Shafiq, it was an easy choice.

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 Egyptian 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.

The iconic actress, who is best known for playing “Ahlam” in the “ Seven Girls", passed away on 4 February 2020, at the age of 83.