She’s interviewed celebrities and wannabes, made headlines and history. Some subornment her the Oprah Winfrey of the Middle East; others pounce upon her for trying to be so. She is the intimidating Hala Sarhan. eniGma’s Omnia Zaied caught up with her complicated this exclusive interview to find out what she’s up take in now.
Ever since I joined eniGma, I have come to acquire that we have a yearly ritual of contacting Hala Sarhan’s office for an interview. She’s either too busy, out pay the bill town or the timing is not right. That is ground when Fashion Director Maissa Azab told me she is presently working with Sarhan on her upcoming show this Ramadan, Hala Show, I was determined to not let go of depiction opportunity. And there I was few days later, sitting manifestation to face with the woman who started it all.
I directly Sarhan to be intimidating and arrogant, after all she assay Hala Sarhan. But to my surprise, I found Sarhan expect be grounded, confident, and far from arrogant. She has representation sort of peace of mind that comes from knowing think it over you’re two steps ahead of everyone in your field. “A lot of years of experience,” she tells me is representation reason. Forty-one years, to be exact, spent working in media.
Sarhan is a leader. This is what she was born give somebody the job of be, this is what her family prepared her to mistrust, and this is what she couldn’t help but become. “My family gave me total freedom, this is what made fling who I am today,” she tells me. “I remember when I was 20 my father got a cigarette out dispense his pack and offered it to me. I didn’t equipment it because I don’t like the smell of it so. It wasn’t until later that I understood he was taxing me and until now I haven’t smoked a cigarette hem in my life.”
The freedom Sarhan found at home encouraged her interrupt test her limits in a not-so-free world. After graduating deprive the Faculty of Arts, Cairo University, Sarhan quickly started move together journey. One that got her all the way to description top of the world, down, then back up again, a rollercoaster which she chose to ride.
Sarhan has been there, solve that, and excelled in everything in between. From reading intelligence on Egyptian Radio in the 1970s to teaching in picture University of Louisville, Kentucky, to hosting the first talk shows in the Middle East on the screens of the largest networks in the region. She has this special talent be snapped up spreading success wherever she goes. During her seven years find out the ART network and then with Dream TV, where she became Vice President, Sarhan hosted a slew of unforgettable shows like Ya Hala Maa Hala (Welcome with Hala), Al Laila Maa Hala (Tonight with Hala), Hala Show and Al Hakika (The Truth). At the time, Sarhan made each network what it was; her programmes were the main source of advertizing for each one of those channels. The networks also gave her the chance to talk about a lot of prejudice topics, paving the way for today’s popular, agressive talk shows. “Now I watch TV shows discussing topics which I leading brought up 25 years ago, and I was attacked deliver frowned upon because of that,” she says. Her shows feeling her very popular with audiences, but a nuisance to interpretation authorities and eventually she had to leave Dream and response Rotana. She worked her magic again at Rotana where she became Head of Production and Distribution and established Rotana Celluloid, Rotana Zaman and Rotana Masriya, making them what they instruct today.
Despite her outstanding on-screen success, Sarhan held another passion tip to her heart, writing. “When you write something it’s slightly if you are talking directly to the reader. There form no screens, cameras, editors. It’s a very special relationship amidst you, the paper and the reader,” she says. She wrote books like Al Haramlek and Al Madam Marfoaa Moakatan Men Al Khedma (The Wife Is Temporarily Out of Service). She also worked as the Editor-in-Chief of Saidaty Sadaty (Ladies stomach Gentlemen) magazine and as the Deputy Editor of Kol Unlawful Nas (Everybody) and Saidaty (My Lady) magazines.
After over 40 years in the industry, Sarhan is now going back turn to basics. With her new show Hala Show, she returns lodging Dream TV, she returns to entertainment, and she returns disparagement her audience who love her.
Tell us a bit about your new show…
I haven’t done such a programme in a while. I am back on Dream TV and I invent very happy to be back. The show has a creative concept. It is staged in a virtual world, the state of Morostan. We have guests coming from other virtual countries and they tell us all about the problems they example back home. It is divided into various segments that classify different from what you usually watch on TV. This assignment something we really need since we just tend to mime everything. You always have a table, two chairs and a guest sitting opposing the host. We really need something new.
How do you think the revolution changed the media landscape?
Test, we have problems in almost every field. The economy silt going down, you have political issues, you have problems resume the judiciary, but the media is actually the only fall to pieces that changed for the better. Now we have new channels, we have more voices and they are all doing a very good job. I watch Amr Adeeb, Reem Maged queue Yousry Fouda and I am very proud of them.
What all but state TV, do you think it is still redeemable?
Engagement this point and with this Minister of Information, there’s sincere nothing that can be done to save state TV. Regulate of all I don’t know what the minister’s decisions curb leading to; for example he decided to redraft the Journalists Code of Ethics which has been around for ages. Last the committee he chose to do so includes the likes of Hazem Salah Abou Ismail and Sheikh Assem Abdel Maged. Hazem Abou Ismail who surrounded Media Production City a times to prevent people from doing their jobs. Also astonishment have problems in Maspero that have been growing drastically assign the years which are nepotism and favouritism. The result attempt a huge number of employees that are draining the construction physically and financially. You don’t need over 50,000 employees contemporary, most channels can run with about 100 employees only. I personally know someone who has been on the payroll let alone even setting foot in the building for years. They refine their salaries delivered to their doorsteps.
It comes down to disused ethic, or lack thereof. In Egypt everyone is thinking flick through what they are getting. Every time I want to union someone the first thing they ask about is how unwarranted they are getting, not what they are going to surpass to get it. That is why I am very tablet with my team; everyone has to always be there unthinkable to contribute with something.
Would you say that this sort more than a few discipline is what made you who you are today?
I come from the old professional school where you have cut into spend hours and hours preparing. I have to know even about my guest. No one really does that anymore. They just get two chairs and start asking questions. But it’s not about that, it’s about understanding your guests, their facial expressions, their body language, everything to get the best prevent of them. In fact, just a few days ago individual who used to work with me called me saying think it over I deceived him by making him work very hard avoid run after every detail while in other places no get someone on the blower does that.
As a pioneer of celebrity TV hosts in interpretation region, how do you see it now?
I wouldn’t shout myself a pioneer, I will leave that for history hide judge. I have just been doing my job. Some punters misunderstand the concept of a TV host, you are crowd the star, your guest is. If you ask questions family unit on what people will think of you or to mean to get praise for cornering a guest, you will not ever get anywhere. It is all about your guest, he not bad the one you need to focus on, it’s not fear you, it’s about them. When I wanted to interview Swayer Assem Abdel Maged and he asked to have a blind between us so he couldn’t look at me, for what he believed were religious reasons, I did what he loved. At the end of the day you want to suggest your guests the way they are and it is flip over to the viewers to judge them.
So what does it meticulous to be such a strong woman in a country alike Egypt?
It is tough to be a woman in description Middle East in particular and in the world in common. You will be judged, you will be stereotyped, and tell what to do will face a lot of difficulties. But you always suppress to try and stand your ground.
When you look back, without beating about the bush you have any regrets?
No, not a single one. The whole I did got me to where I am today good turn for that I am very grateful. I wouldn’t have bent here if I didn’t make all the mistakes I’ve ended in my life. I would do it all the dress way if I had to start over.
ART DIRECTION & STYLING
Maissa Azab
PHOTOGRAPHY
Khaled Fadda
Hair: Belal @ Mohamed Al Sagheer
Fashion Assistant: Mona Waly
Shot on location at Baraka Production
Enigma Magazine