A star-studded suhoor was held last Wednesday featuring the cast and crew of the hit television series Al Ikhwa.
Shot in Abu Dhabi in collaboration with twofour54’s production services arm Intaj and Clacket Productions, the Syrian soap-opera, starring Baseem Yakhour, Taim Hassan and Amal Bashosha, is currently screening its second season on OSN.
Filming began in the capital in February and is set to continue with Wednesday’s announcement of another 100 episodes to be shot locally by October.
The plot revolves around five brothers competing with each other in both the business arena and in personal life.
The programme’s signature intensity was left to the screens, however. The cast and crew shared laughs as they enjoyed a Middle Eastern-inspired suhoor at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club’s Hawksbill Restaurant.
The hulking Yakhour, a smouldering presence throughout the series, was in a jovial mood as he poked fun at his fellow cast members at his table when the series trailer was screened to the media. He also had a hankering for biryani and frequented the buffet station in between holding impromptu discussions.
For the Lebanese actress Nadine Al Rassi, elegant in a black dress and all smiles, the evening was a good break from the demands of portraying the emotionally wrought lead character Maria.
“I do respect her but she is definitely not me,” she said of Maria. “I think that I am a stronger person and there are many times in the show where I personally would have chosen a different decision.”
Intaj’s executive director Paul Baker praised the announcement of further filming in Abu Dhabi.
“The suhoor was an opportunity to acknowledge what a fantastic success this show has been,” he said. “We are absolutely lucky to have such a high-quality show that is engaging with so many Abu Dhabi locations and really shows off Abu Dhabi in all of its glory.”
Twofour54 is owned by Abu Dhabi Media, which publishes The National.
• The second season of Al Ikhwa is showing exclusively on OSN Yahala Drama HD daily at midnight. For details, visit www.osn.com
