Sherihan Shalakani will make her stage return after a two-decade hiatus.
The Egyptian actor, singer and dancer, known simply as Sherihan, will star in Coco Chanel, a stage musical based on the life of the titular French fashion designer.
The production will screen on MBC's paid subscription service, Shahid VIP. While no release date is yet available, MBC is known to debut high-profile Arabic-language stage productions and films over the Eid holidays.
The next break, Eid Al Adha, is set to fall on Monday, July 19.
The trailer, which was released on Friday, shows a brooding Sherihan strolling amid an atelier while singing a forlorn ballad. The set is full of Parisian glamour with buildings at night hovering over male and female mannequins.
Sherihan, in regal dress and a glowering look, plays the part of the indomitable diva who revolutionised 20th-century European fashion with pioneering designs.
Back in her element
One of the reasons the trailer was trending on Twitter in the region over the weekend was because it provides a rare chance to see Sherihan, 56, in her element.
Fans got a taste of that in April, when she starred in a Broadway musical-style Ramadan advertisement for Vodafone Egypt.
Within four minutes, the production reminded us of a singular talent whose career once encompassed the stage, music, television and film.
For millions of Arab families during the mid-1980s, Sherihan was the face of Ramadan with her nightly shows.
Outside of the holy month, she built a strong career on the big screen with well-received roles in dramas such as Souk Al-Nisa'a (1994) and Gabr Elkhawater (1998).
The drama, however, was not limited to her profession. Sherihan's private life was also beset with setbacks that ultimately forced her to retire after 2001 film Al Eshk Wal Damm.
The queen of Ramadan
Born in Cairo, Sherihan got the performance bug aged 4. In previous interviews, she has said the early start was inspired by her brother, Omar Khorshid.
Nineteen years her senior, Khorshid built a career as a dazzling and dashing guitarist who accompanied some of the Arab world's greatest singers, including Egypt's Umm Kulthum and Abdel Halim Hafez, as well as Syrian-Egyptian Farid Al Atrash.
Khorshid died in a car crash in Giza in 1981, when Sherihan's career was taking shape at the age of 17.
At that stage she was considered a talent to watch, with strong performances in screen debut Ota Ala Nar (1977), alongside Farid Shawqi, and 1984 dark comedy Raya Wa Sakina.
While the film roles displayed her dramatic heft, her lighter side on television also captured the hearts of millions.
From 1960s to the mid-1980s, Ramadan television was defined by high-profile drama series and a genre known as "Fawazeers". Loosely translated as "riddles", these were essentially variety shows hosted by seasoned and new talents, and were a blend of music, sketch comedy and quizzes.
After dipping her toes into the genre with 1985's Alf Lela W Lela, featuring stories from 1001 Nights, Sherihan became a regional sensation in the following years by hosting Fawazir El Amthal, a top-rated show that ended its near 40-year run in 2000.
Through fun and puns, not to mention zany costumes and signature cat-eye make-up, each episode had Sherihan presenting a riddle to the audience who then had the chance to win prizes.
The series became such a hit that Sherihan returned to host a similar series in 1987 with Hawl Al Alam and 1993's Hagat We Mehtagat, all the while showcasing her acting work with darker turns in 1989's Al Morshed and 1990's Al-Aqrab.
In news that shocked the region, her career came to a halt in 1989 when a serious car accident left her nearly paralysed.
A planned comeback after 2001 film Al Eshk Wal Damm was also curtailed when Sherihan was diagnosed with salivary gland cancer, necessitating years of treatment.
Welcome back
After 19 years, Sherihan has emerged again to take control of her story. While we await Coco Chanel, her latest work points to a triumphant third act.
On April 12, a day before the release of the Vodafone Egypt advertisement, she described on Twitter her state of mind: “I am living in a moment of gratitude.
"I have been waiting for so long for a beautiful response [since] September 2002. My feelings are all confused, but I am happy."
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Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
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Rating: 2/5
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MATCH INFO
Fixture: Thailand v UAE, Tuesday, 4pm (UAE)
TV: Abu Dhabi Sports
The biog
Age: 32
Qualifications: Diploma in engineering from TSI Technical Institute, bachelor’s degree in accounting from Dubai’s Al Ghurair University, master’s degree in human resources from Abu Dhabi University, currently third years PHD in strategy of human resources.
Favourite mountain range: The Himalayas
Favourite experience: Two months trekking in Alaska
Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
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Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: seven-speed auto
Power: 420 bhp
Torque: 624Nm
Price: from Dh293,200
On sale: now
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
Barings Bank
Barings, one of Britain’s oldest investment banks, was
founded in 1762 and operated for 233 years before it went bust after a trading
scandal.
Barings Bank collapsed in February 1995 following colossal
losses caused by rogue trader Nick Lesson.
Leeson gambled more than $1 billion in speculative trades,
wiping out the venerable merchant bank’s cash reserves.
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Sun jukebox
Rufus Thomas, Bear Cat (The Answer to Hound Dog) (1953)
This rip-off of Leiber/Stoller’s early rock stomper brought a lawsuit against Phillips and necessitated Presley’s premature sale to RCA.
Elvis Presley, Mystery Train (1955)
The B-side of Presley’s final single for Sun bops with a drummer-less groove.
Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two, Folsom Prison Blues (1955)
Originally recorded for Sun, Cash’s signature tune was performed for inmates of the titular prison 13 years later.
Carl Perkins, Blue Suede Shoes (1956)
Within a month of Sun’s February release Elvis had his version out on RCA.
Roy Orbison, Ooby Dooby (1956)
An essential piece of irreverent juvenilia from Orbison.
Jerry Lee Lewis, Great Balls of Fire (1957)
Lee’s trademark anthem is one of the era’s best-remembered – and best-selling – songs.
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Types of policy
Term life insurance: this is the cheapest and most-popular form of life cover. You pay a regular monthly premium for a pre-agreed period, typically anything between five and 25 years, or possibly longer. If you die within that time, the policy will pay a cash lump sum, which is typically tax-free even outside the UAE. If you die after the policy ends, you do not get anything in return. There is no cash-in value at any time. Once you stop paying premiums, cover stops.
Whole-of-life insurance: as its name suggests, this type of life cover is designed to run for the rest of your life. You pay regular monthly premiums and in return, get a guaranteed cash lump sum whenever you die. As a result, premiums are typically much higher than one term life insurance, although they do not usually increase with age. In some cases, you have to keep up premiums for as long as you live, although there may be a cut-off period, say, at age 80 but it can go as high as 95. There are penalties if you don’t last the course and you may get a lot less than you paid in.
Critical illness cover: this pays a cash lump sum if you suffer from a serious illness such as cancer, heart disease or stroke. Some policies cover as many as 50 different illnesses, although cancer triggers by far the most claims. The payout is designed to cover major financial responsibilities such as a mortgage or children’s education fees if you fall ill and are unable to work. It is cost effective to combine it with life insurance, with the policy paying out once if you either die or suffer a serious illness.
Income protection: this pays a replacement income if you fall ill and are unable to continue working. On the best policies, this will continue either until you recover, or reach retirement age. Unlike critical illness cover, policies will typically pay out for stress and musculoskeletal problems such as back trouble.
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh122,745
On sale: now
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Vaccine Progress in the Middle East
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BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
The specs: 2017 Dodge Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn
Price, base / as tested: Dhxxx
Engine: 5.7L V8
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 395hp @ 5,600rpm
Torque: 556Nm @ 3,950rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
PREMIER LEAGUE TABLE
1 Man City 26 20 3 3 63 17 63
2 Liverpool 25 17 6 2 64 20 57
3 Chelsea 25 14 8 3 49 18 50
4 Man Utd 26 13 7 6 44 34 46
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5 West Ham 26 12 6 8 45 34 42
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6 Arsenal 23 13 3 7 36 26 42
7 Wolves 24 12 4 8 23 18 40
8 Tottenham 23 12 4 8 31 31 39
Biog
Mr Kandhari is legally authorised to conduct marriages in the gurdwara
He has officiated weddings of Sikhs and people of different faiths from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Russia, the US and Canada
Father of two sons, grandfather of six
Plays golf once a week
Enjoys trying new holiday destinations with his wife and family
Walks for an hour every morning
Completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Loyola College, Chennai, India
2019 is a milestone because he completes 50 years in business
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Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
match info
Maratha Arabians 138-2
C Lynn 91*, A Lyth 20, B Laughlin 1-15
Team Abu Dhabi 114-3
L Wright 40*, L Malinga 0-13, M McClenaghan 1-17
Maratha Arabians won by 24 runs
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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