Prominent Egyptian actress Elham Shahin shocked the committee for artists wages at the Egyptian Broadcasting Union when she demanded to be paid half a million US dollar to star in a television drama series. The committee strongly felt that the actress is exaggerating her wage and revealed that such a price has never been paid to any artist since the introduction of television in Egypt.
According to the London based daily, Al Quds Al Arabi, the committee was also surprised by the influx of demands by other stars for an increase in their wages. The committee revealed that it will hold a number of meetings to discuss the dilemma of wages, which is threatening the production of any new television dramas.
Elham had notified the production companies that belong to the Egyptian Media Production Company that she has set three million Egyptian pounds as her wage for starring in any television drama and will not accept any amount less than that. The head of the production considered the amount set by the actress as an obstacle that will lessen the production of television dramas.
Elham had demanded this wage when she was offered the leading role in the upcoming television drama “Raya and Iskeena”, but the media city refused her demand and so found a substitute. Production companies fear that other stars will begin to demand extremely high wages, which cannot be met.
Elham stressed that she will not abide by the previous salary scale and will not accept less than the 3 million for acting in a television drama. Elham stressed that she deserves such a high wage because of her great achievements in the acting world.
