The two stars Ahmed El Sakka and Yasmine Abdel Aziz swap roles in their latest film 'Khali Balak Mene Nafsak', in which Yasmine showcases her fitness and skill in performing action scenes and engaging in fights, while Ahmed El Sakka delivers a notable comedic performance, in the first cinematic work uniting them after 23 years since their only artistic meeting in the play 'Keda Oky' in 2003.

And 'Khali Balak Mene Nafsak' joined the summer film race, which is witnessing heated competition between films by box office stars, others by young faces, and a third by mid-generation stars, igniting the battle for the 'revenue pie'.

The film includes a large number of stars appearing as guest stars, including Amr Saad, Karim Fahmy, Majed El Masry, and Iyad Nassar. Also participating are artists Lolaba, Bayoumi Fouad, Michel Milad, Mohamed Lotfy, Mohamed Radwan, Mohamed Tharwat, Mustafa Abu Saree, and Mohamed Abdel Azim. The film is written by Sherif El Leithy, son of media figure Amr El Leithy, directed by Moataz El Tony, and produced by Tamer Morsy.

Its private screening was held in Cairo on Tuesday, attended by its stars, makers, and a number of artists, including Ahmed Zaher and his daughter, artist Malak. Its two leads, Yasmine Abdel Aziz and Ahmed El Sakka, had toured the Arab world, attending private screenings in Kuwait and Dubai, and concluded the tour with a visit to Saudi Arabia, where a private screening was held in Jeddah, days before its opening screening in Cairo.

Producer Tamer Morsy and the head of the Cinema Industry Chamber with Yasmine and Lolaba (the production company)

The Egyptian proverb 'Bāb el-naggār mikhalla' (The carpenter's door is broken) almost applies to the hero of 'Khali Balak Mene Nafsak', played by Ahmed El Sakka as the character of media figure Alaa El Bardweeli, who hosts a late-night radio program solving listeners' emotional problems, while facing a crisis in finding a life partner despite his advancing age.

Alaa resorts to searching for a bride through an electronic app, and irony occurs when he meets 'Farida El Shandweeli' (Yasmine Abdel Aziz), a beautiful businesswoman who runs her father's empire in arms and drug trafficking, and she thinks she will make an arms deal with him, while he believes she is the bride recommended by the marriage app, sparking blatant comedic situations.

While he decides to present the wedding ring to her, he accidentally discovers her true identity, so he announces his withdrawal, but she exerts terrifying pressure on him. With their marriage, he finds himself stuck in the world of arms dealers, and his life turns into a hell of chases.

Ahmed El Sakka said in press statements during the private screening that despite the strong friendship binding him with Yasmine Abdel Aziz and their desire to work together, they did not find a good work uniting them except in this film, emphasizing that he presents a new character he has not played before. Meanwhile, the film marks Yasmine Abdel Aziz's return to cinema after 8 years since her last appearance in the film 'Al-Abla Tamtam'.

Yasmine Abdel Aziz plays a dual and confusing character: a woman searching for love, fearing pain or heartbreak because of it, and another strong and controlling woman who leads arms deals and fights against the strongest men. She said in press statements that she plays a role combining action and comedy, and she performed difficult scenes in the film that exhausted her, but she is always ready for that, affirming that the audience represents her support in her artistic career.

Director Moataz El Tony spoke about the film, saying that writer Sherif El Leithy had presented him the script some time ago, which earned Yasmine's admiration and approval, then an agreement was reached with producer Tamer Morsy, whose company was enthusiastic about producing it. El Tony told Asharq Al-Awsat that 'the film's idea attracted him because it is different, as the hero marries a woman he knows nothing about her past, which triggered the comedic contradictions.'

The film includes comedic contradictions and action (the film's promotional poster)

Regarding the role swap between El Sakka and Yasmine and how he convinced them, El Tony says: 'The matter required time to work on the comedy in the film and convince El Sakka, and Yasmine underwent training with trainer Andrew Mackenzie on action scenes. We focused equally on both the comedic and action aspects, in a deliberate balance between them.'

Moataz El Tony gives his actors a degree of freedom, aware that comedy depends on a degree of improvisation, and also reflects an aspect of the actor's personality, as they add their own feeling to the scene and strive in their performance, according to him.

The film includes joyful scenes shot in Cyprus, and the director notes that the story allowed this space to take the camera to a new location, and he confirms that 'the participation of a large number of guest stars reflects the strength of the production company.'

For his part, critic Tarek El Shenawy believes that 'Khali Balak Mene Nafsak' seemed more like a long joke, because it is based on a misunderstanding that should be discovered in a moment, but the director and producer worked to stretch this dramatic thread, using an ample portion of guest stars who added a degree of vitality to the events and contradictions.

He added to Asharq Al-Awsat that 'Yasmine Abdel Aziz is the box office star of this generation, and she has an audience eager to see her,' noting that she appears in the film in a state of brilliance, and presents a new code to the audience through 'the look' by which she transforms from a romantic girl to a bloodthirsty one; 'which expresses the director's ability to make his heroine's eyes the axis that conveys the entire state.' He pointed out that 'Ahmed El Sakka delivered a successful comedic performance in the film, and did not engage in fights, despite all his previous works in action films.'

El Shenawy concluded: 'If the ticket buyer's goal is laughter, the film will achieve what he wanted, because it is made on the wave of the recipient; but if he aspires to leave in a state of creative magic, not all films possess that magic.'

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