Egyptian star Leila Alawy sparked a wave of ridicule and controversy on Instagram after posting a photo next to a statue of the iconic actor Adel Imam, sending him congratulations on the occasion of his 84th birthday, which falls on Friday. Alawy shared two photos of herself next to the statue on her Instagram account, accompanied by a post in which she expressed her greetings and appreciation for the leader of Egyptian art, describing him as a "great artistic figure who has been able to reflect Egypt's values, civilization, and culture in the Arab and Western world through his art in cinema, theater, and television."
Leila Alawy added in her message: "One of the most important stars of the century... May you always be well, my leader, and I wish him health and wellness, and may he always remain the leader of Egyptian art in the world, with his name shining in all of Egypt's theaters and cinemas."
**Wave of Ridicule**
Her photo next to the statue generated significant ridicule among her followers on the platform, who expressed their astonishment at attributing this statue to the "leader." Some doubted that it resembled the actor Adel Imam, suggesting instead that it depicted the Egyptian actor Nasr Hamad, who closely resembles the leader and even leveraged this resemblance and his ability to imitate Imam's mannerisms and hairstyle to enter the art field, continuing to act until the 1990s before disappearing. His notable works include "Raya wa Sekina" with Sherihan and Younes Shalaby, and "Hala Habibti" with Fouad El Mohandes.
Others pointed out that the statue seemed to blend features of the two great Egyptian stars, Adel Imam and Mohamed Sobhi. One user wrote: "Whoever made the statue was definitely not in their right mind; it's a mix of Adel Imam and Mohamed Sobhi," while another commented: "There was an actor who resembled Adel Imam back in the day; this statue looks similar to him but is miles away from Adel."
