Egyptian director Hisham Fathy said that the idea for the film "Ibn Meen Fehom?" (Who is Whose Son?) began when producer Darine El Khatib presented him with the script, which she had been enthusiastic about for some time. Written by Loay El-Sayed, whom he has known for years, Fathy noted that after reading the script, he was captivated and spent two weeks discussing and refining the details with El-Sayed before holding work sessions with lead actors Laila Elwi and Bayoumi Fouad to reach the final treatment before filming began.

Hisham added to Asharq Al-Awsat that the script development phase saw an effective contribution from artist Laila Elwi, whom he described as having great experience in reading texts and analyzing characters, noting that her observations were precise and helped improve several dramatic details.

The events of "Ibn Meen Fehom?" revolve in a social comedy framework around "Rushdi," a man accustomed to entering into marriages and fleeting relationships without taking responsibility. His life is turned upside down when a lawyer informs him of a huge inheritance left by his aunt, which he can only obtain if he manages to find the son from one of his previous marriages. During the search, he faces comedic and human situations that push him to reconsider his lifestyle and discover the meaning of responsibility and fatherhood, in a work that combines comedy and social messages.

Egyptian director Hisham Fathy (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The director explained that the preparation sessions were not just readings of the script, but continuous discussions about the characters and the pacing of the events to ensure the film came out in the best possible form. He pointed out that "the choice of actor Ahmed Essam El-Sayed to play the role of the son (Karim) came after being fully convinced that he was the most suitable for the part, having seen him in the series 'Aysha El-Dor' with Donia Samir Ghanem and noticing that he possessed the calmness and simplicity that the character needed, in addition to his ability to convincingly play Laila Elwi’s son on screen," as he put it.

He added, "All nominations were based on the actor's suitability for the role, not just the size of their stardom, which was preceded by intensive rehearsals before filming started," noting that his interest during preparation was not limited to the film's stars but included all characters, regardless of their screen time, based on his conviction that small roles often create the most lasting moments in the audience's memory.

Hisham Fathy explained that he entered the film aware that previous works that brought Laila Elwi and Bayoumi Fouad together had achieved great public and commercial success, but he refused for that to restrict his directorial vision. He noted that he treated "Ibn Meen Fehom?" as an independent project through which he seeks to present a different experience, while maintaining the chemistry between the work's leads.

He praised the working method of author Loay El-Sayed, describing him as "one of the most flexible writers when dealing with a director, as he was willing to rewrite or modify scenes whenever it served the interest of the film," confirming that the understanding between them continued throughout the preparation stages, which gave the script the opportunity for continuous development even before filming began, reflecting on the dramatic and comedic structure of the work.

He pointed out that the biggest bet in the film was on "situational comedy," considering it one of the most difficult forms of comedy because it relies on creating a complete situation that generates laughter naturally, rather than just verbal jokes. He was keen to maintain this in action and chase scenes as well, so that comedy remains present in all details of the film without artifice.

Fathy with Bayoumi Fouad during the preparation of a scene (Asharq Al-Awsat)

He added that "directing comedy works remains one of the most difficult tasks because the director does not have a real way to measure the audience's response during filming, which makes him rely on the general feeling of the scene and his experience in comedic timing," noting that he always prefers to discuss the details of performance with actors, because reaching the best result comes through dialogue and the exchange of ideas, not by executing the scene in a rigid way.

The Egyptian director stressed that he does not believe one actor should bear the responsibility for comedy within the film, but is keen to distribute it among all characters so that the viewer feels each person has their own moment. He considers casting an essential element in the success of a comedy, which is why he was keen to choose actors who could each add a different touch to the events, even for guest star roles.

He revealed that "all guest stars agreed to participate as soon as the idea was presented to them, and there were no alternative names proposed, because each character was associated from the beginning with a specific actor," confirming that some artists proposed ideas to develop their roles.

Regarding Entesar performing a song and dance in the film, Hisham Fathy confirmed that she was enthusiastic as soon as he spoke with her about the role and that she would sing and perform a choreographed dance, noting that he does not like to force singers into cinematic works without a dramatic justification for it.

Laila Elwi between Bayoumi Fouad and Ahmed Essam El-Sayed (Production Company)

Regarding his future artistic projects, the Egyptian director confirmed that he is preparing a new work with author Loay El-Sayed, in addition to a Saudi film titled "Nayef and Naomi" with artist Fahd Al-Mutairi, which is still in the preparation and casting stage.

He added that the film will be the second collaboration with Al-Mutairi after their experience together in "Fakhr Al-Suwaidi," noting that he loves presenting comedic cinematic experiences in Saudi Arabia for several reasons, primarily the actors' keenness to provide their best.

It is noteworthy that the film "Ibn Meen Fehom?" stars Laila Elwi and Bayoumi Fouad, alongside Ahmed Essam El-Sayed, and features a large number of guest stars, including Entesar, Rania Youssef, Shaimaa Seif, Wizzo, Zeina Mansour, and Hala Fakher, in addition to special appearances. It is produced by Vox Studios and Dubai Studios.