Mohammed Anwar: Similarity between "Chai Khaneh" and "Al Ghumayda" is a coincidence

Writer and director Mohammed Anwar told Al-Anbaa that the controversy surrounding his series “Chai Khaneh,” which aired last Ramadan, following audience comparisons between the character played by actress Hind Al-Balushi in the series and the character played by actress Huda Hussein in “Al-Ghamida,” due to the similarity that both are blind and work as tailors, was merely a coincidence or a “convergence of ideas” between him and writer Hiba Mishari Hamada, as he described.

He said: “My sister, writer Hiba Hamada, and I each presented a work with a different dramatic line. My series revolves around crime and mystery, while her series is social. I do not deny that I was shocked when the announcements for ‘Al-Ghamida’ and ‘Chai Khaneh’ were released at the same time, and I found the lead character blind and working as a tailor. However, the truth is that ‘Chai Khaneh’ was written three years ago.”

He emphasized that the idea of a blind woman is not new in drama, adding: “Hiba Hamada’s script was not with me, nor was my script with her. Furthermore, the channels airing the two works are different, and I expect that she was also surprised by this similarity.”

Anwar had previously stated in an interview with media personality Ali Najm on the program “Mas’alat Waqt” on Marina FM radio that “Chai Khaneh” was initially titled “Dawaawi,” and actor Hassan Al-Balam was scheduled to star in it. However, his commitments to other projects led to the postponement of the production.

He discussed the reasons behind the success of “Al-Ghamida” and the lackluster performance of “Chai Khaneh,” explaining: “It aired on Kuwait Television during the last ten days of Ramadan, coinciding with the war conditions that the region was experiencing, which did not serve it as required. Additionally, the work is simple and revolves around two or three characters, whereas ‘Al-Ghamida’ is a massive series featuring a large number of stars who delivered distinctive acting performances.”

On another note, Anwar revealed that producer Abdullah Boushery was the first to believe in his talent, saying: “Abdullah Boushery was the first person to encourage me. What distinguishes him most is his love for adventure. He told me at the time: ‘Give it a try.’”

When asked about the series “Dhanab,” which he wrote and directed, and stars a number of prominent actors including Hassan Al-Balam, Hanadi Al-Kandari, Maram Al-Balushi, Abdulmohsen Al-Qaffas, Sara Salah, Ahmed Al-Najjar, Garour Saffar, Alaa Hassan, Fahad Al-Salman, and media personality Ali Najm, alongside other artists, Anwar told Al-Anbaa: “I finished filming it recently, and we are currently working on the editing.” He noted that he does not know its broadcast date, as that is up to the channel, revealing that the work is a psychological drama set across two time periods simultaneously, consisting of ten episodes, and expressing his hope that it will win the audience’s approval.