Al-Jundi: The public hates me because of Suad Husni

Artist Nadia El-Gendy revealed that her participation in the film “Small for Love” coincided with her first steps in the world of acting, emphasizing that portraying an unlikable character opposite Soad Hosny and Rushdy Abaza was a genuine challenge for her, as a large segment of the audience at the time hated her character.

During an interview with media personality Mottaz El-Demerdash on the program “My Guest,” broadcast on Al-Sharq News Channel, El-Gendy said, “I was hated at that time because Soad Hosny was a major star, while I was a new face. I appeared heavy on screen, and the audience wondered: Who is this actress who opposes Soad? But I continued working and did not care whether the role was hated or not, as it used to be said back then.” She stressed that mastery is the benchmark of success, regardless of the nature of the role.

She clarified that the title “Star of the Masses” did not come out of nowhere, but was bestowed by the audience and box office performance. Her films witnessed intense crowds, to the extent that Central Security Forces were called in to manage the congestion. She said, “When your film is released, the streets are packed, traffic comes to a halt, and the Central Security Forces are deployed to manage the crowd, and the film runs in cinemas for a year, it is only logical that the title ‘Star of the Masses’ is applied to me. The one who coined this title is my audience, who entered my films by the millions. In cinema, the box office cannot be manipulated. Success is clear, and failure is clear.”

She noted that she faced unjustified attacks from some critics, saying, “There was a conspiracy by the enemies of success. There was a group of critics who, whenever a film of mine was released, would start to defame it. I would respond by publishing my films’ box office revenues. The revenue would increase every time they did that. An artist’s ethics come before their art. Resentment shows on one’s face. As long as you are at peace with yourself and have faith in God, this brings tranquility and optimism.”

Regarding her stance on retirement, she emphasized the importance of continuing as long as the artist is capable of giving and maturing, saying, “Why should I retire? As long as the artist has the capacity to give, they should not retire. Age brings maturity.” She expressed her refusal to revisit successful works that are firmly entrenched in the public’s memory, justifying this by saying, “Comparison might unjustly affect another star. There are good actresses like Mona Zaki, Hend Sabry, Reham Abdel Ghafor, and Zayna, but Nadia El-Gendy created an independent character that is difficult to replicate.”