In a neighborhood in Cairo, there is the apartment of Egyptian director Ahmed Jamal, who is a huge fan of the comedy leader Adel Imam. Due to his passion for him, he transformed his apartment into a museum that houses everything related to the comedy leader, including videos, old newspaper clippings, magazines, and everything written and published about him.
The director, in his thirties, recounts the story to "Al Arabiya.net," saying he has loved watching the works of Adel Imam since childhood, and his family used to take him to the cinema and theater to see them. Because of this, he became attached to him. Out of this deep attachment, he began searching for everything related to the leader—news and information. He approached old newspapers and magazines, looking for them everywhere, collecting what he could, including photos, posters, and information.
He adds that he transformed his apartment into a museum filled with magazines, newspapers, and clippings, and he was surprised every time by the information and secrets he discovered about the leader, many of which are perhaps unknown to many. For instance, he found out about Adel Imam's first salary, the first time his name appeared in newspapers after announcing his name in a television theater competition in 1962, that he proposed to a well-known actress at the time, Medha Hamdi, and that he was behind the discovery of artists Esaad Younes and Yousra, as well as many younger stars like Mohamed Henedy and Alaa Waleed.
The walls of the Egyptian director's apartment are filled with rare posters and photographs of Adel Imam, in addition to video tapes of his works, photos of his contracts, including the first contract he signed, magazine covers featuring his images, and newspaper clippings containing critics' opinions about him.
He states that he has collected over 10,000 magazines and newspapers and hundreds of films featuring him. He traveled to remote and challenging areas to find a magazine or newspaper that featured the leader's name or image, and he obtained memorabilia from Lebanon and America, as well as poster images that were distributed to audiences before entering to see the leader's films.
When asked if the great artist knows about the young director's efforts and the museum he established for him, he replies, "Yes, he knows," and that Adel Imam encourages him. He adds that due to his admiration for the leader, he watches one of his films or plays daily and remembers all the names of the characters, directors, and writers who worked with him, as well as enjoying the soundtrack of one of his works.
