Muhsin Jaber, owner of Alam Al Fan Production Company and holder of rights to 50% of late Egyptian singer Abdul Halim Hafiz, refused to give out rights to any of the songs to the production of the film about the late singer’s life to the Egyptian Media Production City.
According to the Saudi based daily, Al Watan, Mahmoud Al Laithi, manager of the Egyptian Media Production City, made a number of calls to Jaber requesting rights to the songs. Al Laithi made every possible attempt to get the rights for free in order to complete the film about the life of Abdul Halim, which was to star Egyptian actor Ahmad Zaki, but Jaber firmly refused any negotiations.
Egyptian singer Amr Diab was behind Muhsin’s refusal to give out the rights to Al Laithi. Amr had threatened Alam Al Fan by using all methods of blackmail to stop the production of Halim’s film. Diab had announced that he will pull out of Alam Al Fan and break his contract with them if they did not produce his film “Al Mutamarid” (The Antagonist), written by Midhat Al Adel and to be directed by Tareq Al Aryan, first and halted the other.
The singer added that it’s a betrayal to singers of his generation that director Tareq Al Aryan would direct a film about a dead singers life when priority is to the live ones. Diab also wrote a blank check to intimidate director Tareq to direct his film first.
Al Aryan went on to assure Amr that his film would get first priority and would be worked on immediately. Diab felt victory after his demands where met and is currently holding sessions with the screenwriter to complete the script in the shortest time possible. –Albawaba.com
