Artist Mohamed Negati revealed the behind-the-scenes story of standing as a child in front of the Egyptian cinema emperor, the late artist Ahmed Zaki, during his participation in the film “Against the Government.”

He stated in a television interview with “Extra News” that his selection for the role came after a forced five-year break from acting, ordered by the late director Atef El-Tayeb following his first participation in the film “Heart of the Night.”

He pointed out that director Atef El-Tayeb asked his mother to completely keep him away from work, saying: “He didn’t want me to be like Fairuz.. he wanted to protect me and prevent me from burning out,” as he described it.

He noted that he was called again to participate in the film “Against the Government” after five years, adding that when Ahmed Zaki saw him, he said: “You look like me.. you are my son.. I want you.”

He continued: “From that moment, I truly consider myself the legitimate son of Mr. Ahmed Zaki, and I hope to be one of his most famous disciples.”

He confirmed his childhood awareness of the opportunity and the importance of the star he was standing in front of, adding: “I knew he was the greatest star and that it was a great and important opportunity, but my awareness was not enough to understand the meaning of standing before Mr. Ahmed Zaki; I didn’t grasp it at the time, but I understood it well later.”

He revealed that he gained from the “Against the Government” experience something “more valuable” than just the success of the role or the film, pointing out that he learned two lessons: the first from Ahmed Zaki, who taught him that “no character is like another,” and urged him to explore the dimensions and background of each character to create a unique and different entity, even if the details are not written in the script.

He explained that the second lesson was from the late director Atef El-Tayeb, which explains his limited artistic appearances, confirming that “good exposure only comes through good choices.”

He concluded: “The less I work, the more I focus, recharge my energy, and can present something new; but if I work all the time, I will be a repeated version, and ten good roles are better than thirty similar ones.”