Ahmed Badrakhan

Ahmed Badrakhan

Egyptian Film Producer and Screenwriter

Born: September 18, 1909, Cairo, Egypt

Died: August 26, 1969 (aged 59)

Nationality: Egyptian 🇪🇬

Spouse: Asmahan 🎤

Children: Ali Badrakhan 🎬

Occupation: Film Director, Screenwriter, Writer 📽️

Native Language: Arabic 🇦🇪

🔹 Family Background and Early Life

His full name was Ahmed Ali Badrakhan.

He belonged to the Badrakhan Kurdish family, which once ruled Kurdistan. His ancestor, Badrakhan Pasha, was the last ruler of the Botan Emirate.

His grandfather, Khorshid Taher Pasha, was an Albanian-Ottoman military commander.

His father, Tahir Pasha, was the Governor of Egypt in the early 19th century.

🎓 Education and Early Career

He obtained his primary and secondary education at Frères School.

He developed a passion for cinema early on, frequently visiting Cosmo Cinema to watch Charlie Chaplin films. 🎭

His interest in acting grew after attending rehearsals at Ramses Theatre.

He joined the Acting Institute established by Zaki Tulaimat but left after its closure.

He studied law at the Faculty of Law at his father’s insistence, but never abandoned his love for cinema.

In 1931, he was sent to Paris to study film and earned a diploma in film directing. 🎥

🎬 Professional Career

One of the pioneers of Egyptian cinema, he contributed to the founding of Studio Misr with economist Talaat Harb.

Known for directing musical films, he worked with renowned artists such as:

Umm Kulthum 🎤

Farid al-Atrash 🎸

Asmahan 🎶

Mohamed Fawzi 🎼

Nagaat Al-Saghira 🎤

His films often carried romantic, social, and political themes, but his storytelling was primarily romantic. 💕

He directed Umm Kulthum's first film, "Nashid Al-Amal" (1937), and continued working with her for years.

He also directed Farid al-Atrash and Asmahan's debut film, "Intisar Al-Shabab" (1941), later collaborating with Farid in nine films.

Produced and directed "Mustafa Kamel" (1952), a film about the Egyptian nationalist leader, despite political opposition.

🏆 Awards and Honors

State Appreciation Award in 1954.

Medal of Arts in 1962.

First President of the Federation of Artistic Unions in Egypt.

📽️ Notable Directorial Works

✔️ 1937: Nashid Al-Amal

✔️ 1939: Dananeer

✔️ 1941: Intisar Al-Shabab

✔️ 1945: Shahr Al-Asal

✔️ 1950: Akher Kedba

✔️ 1952: Mustafa Kamel

✔️ 1953: Lahn Hobbi

✔️ 1955: Ahd Al-Hawa

✔️ 1958: Ghariba

✔️ 1966: Sayed Darwish

✔️ 1969: Nadia (his final film)

✍️ Notable Screenwriting Works

📜 1936: Widad (Screenplay & Dialogue)

📜 1937: Nashid Al-Amal (Screenplay & Dialogue)

📜 1952: Mustafa Kamel (Story, Screenplay & Dialogue)

🕊️ Death

He passed away on August 26, 1969, at the age of 59, leaving behind a lasting cinematic legacy.