Salah El-Din Ahmed Mourad Zulfikar (, ; 18 January 1926 – 22 December 1993) was an Egyptian actor and film producer. He started his career as a police officer, before becoming an actor in 1956. He is regarded as one of the most influential actors in the history of Egyptian film industry, who had notable roles in over a hundred feature films in multiple genres during his 37-year career, mostly as the leading actor. Late in his career, he had considerable success in television roles.
Born to a noble family, Zulfikar graduated from the Egyptian Police Academy in 1946. He was one of Egypt's heroes in its battle against the occupation while serving in the police. His son, entrepreneur Ahmed Zulfikar, mentioned in a 1994 press interview that his father participated in the guerrilla war in Ismailia against the British Forces in 1944, and described his patriotism as having been “without limits”. Afterwards, Zulfikar volunteered in the Battle of Ismailia of 1952, and in the 1956 Suez War. He was awarded the Medal of Military Duty (first class) from Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser, in appreciation for his efforts in serving his country.
In 1955, he began his career as a part-time actor with temporary permits from Ministry of Interior to work in his first film; Wakeful Eyes released in 1956. Later, he went on to be a full time actor in late 1957. He established his first film production company with his elder brother Ezz El-Dine Zulficar in 1958. He ran his new business under the trade name of Ezz El-Dine Zulficar Films. In 1962, he founded Salah Zulfikar Films Company and operated in Egypt and the Arab world for almost 16 years. Through Zulfikar's two production companies, which he ran throughout his 20-year career as a film producer, he won numerous awards, with the majority of his films becoming box-office successes. He was one of the most dominant leading men in Egyptian cinema. Despite starting his acting career as a film actor, he also worked in theater throughout his career, playing some celebrated theatrical roles. Zulfikar is one of the most famous artistic figures in Egypt and the Arab world. His contributions to film, television, theatre and radio as an actor and film producer earned him a worldwide reputation that made him one of the most influential Middle Eastern and Arab public figures in the 20th century. In 1996, in the centenary of Egyptian cinema, ten of his films as an actor and five of his films as a producer were listed in the top one hundred Egyptian films of the 20th century.
Early life and education Salah El-Din Ahmed Mourad Zulfikar was born on January 18, 1926, in El Mahalla El Kubra, Gharbia, to an aristocratic family of prominent position in Egypt. His father Ahmed Mourad Bey Zulfikar (1888–1945), was a senior police commissioner in the Ministry of Interior, and his mother, Nabila Hanem Zulfikar, was a housewife. Zulfikar was the seventh of eight siblings. His father had a remarkable impact on his sons in terms of commitment, loyalty, integrity and self-reliance. His military background did not limit his family's interest in culture, arts and the Egyptian political life in general. His eldest brother, Mohamed, was a doctor and a businessman, two elder sisters were Soad and Fekreya. Another brother was Mahmoud, a filmmaker and a major figure in Egyptian film industry; he initially studied to become an architect. His brother Ezz El-Dine was also a remarkable filmmaker and graduated as a military officer, Kamal was a military officer. His younger brother Mamdouh was a businessman.
Zulfikar excelled in his studies and was an athlete. He was one of Egypt's champions in boxing and won the King's Cup in featherweight in 1947. Besides boxing, he played shooting and he was an active player in the Police Academy football team. He initially joined the Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, to please his father, who wished Zulfikar to become a doctor like his grandfather. After his father became sick, he transferred his admission to the Police Academy so he could stay in Cairo beside his father. He graduated in 1946. Salah Zulfikar was appointed to the Menoufia Security Directorate and the Prisons Authority, specifically Egypt Prison, and also worked as a teacher at the Police Academy.
Police career While studying in Police Academy, Zulfikar participated in the guerrilla war of Ismailia against the British forces in 1944. Zulfikar graduated in 1947, he was assigned immediately in Monufia Governorate Police force. A year later he was assigned in prison of Cairo which was responsible for prisoners including Anwar Sadat (President of Egypt in 1970) in 1947.
In 1949, Zulfikar started teaching and became a professor at the Police Academy. He was in charge of the unit of fresh students. He had a saying "the unit of fresh students is a manhood factory". He was a skillful officer known for his professionalism and high moral standards.In 1952 he volunteered to join the police unit in Ismaïlia which was under attack by the British Army. The Egyptian police force refused to hand over their weapons to the British forces, which led the British army to bring in tanks to capture the building. The ensuing battle of Ismailia was later commemorated and is now celebrated in Egypt on 25 January of every year as National Police Day. Zulfikar received a National Award of Honor for his bravery.
In 1956 Suez war, Zulfikar took the initiative leading 19 of his students in the Police Academy and volunteered as commandos resisting the tripartite attack by the British, French and Israeli armies. Zulfikar also received the Medal of Military Duty (first Class) from President Gamal Abdel Nasser for risking his life for his country with bravery and honor.
Acting career 1955–1959: early career and breakthrough
Zulfikar's elder brothers Ezz El-Dine Zulfikar and Mahmoud Zulfikar were film directors. During his free time he used to attend film shooting. In 1955, his brother, Ezz El-Dine, tried to convince Zulfikar to start acting but he refused for he thought it is an impossible idea due to the nature of his job as a police officer. Finally under Ezz El-Dine's persistence, he agreed and was granted a temporary permit from the Minister of the Interior, which was headed at the time by Zakaria Mohieddin to take the leading role in Wakeful Eyes, released in 1956.
His second role was Hussein Abdel Wahed in Return My Heart (1957), Zulfikar was a natural and his performance gained public passion. The film was his first regional success, it was telling the story of the Egyptian revolution of 1952 and became a yearly celebration on the Egyptian state television on the 23rd of July. Zulfikar acted in both films with temporary permits. In 1958, he was cast by Youssef Chahine for Jamila, the Algerian (1958), he shared the lead with Magda and Ahmed Mazhar in which he played the role of Azzam. The film showed the struggle of the Algerian people against the French occupation during the Algerian War. In 1959, Zulfikar starred in six films including Ezz El-Dine Zulficar's The Second Man, and it earned him praise from Cairo critics. Followed by Hassan El Imam's Love and Adoration alongside Taheyya Kariokka, and his performance earned him favorable reviews. He played the lead in Forbidden Women (1959), a box-office hit alongside Huda Sultan. The commercial success of one film after another made Zulfikar a bankable star.
1960s: stardom
Zulfikar's selection of diversified roles increased his popularity in Egypt and the Middle East. In 1960, he starred in Hassan El-Imam's I accuse, a thriller with Zulfikar sharing the lead with Zubaida Tharwat and Emad Hamdy. He starred in Niazi Mostafa's A Scrap of Bread (1960). He was paired with Soad Hosny for the first time in Hassan El Imam's Money and Women (1960), the film was a commercial success.
In 1961, Zulfikar starred in six films, the romantic comedy; That's What Love Is alongside Sabah was a great box-office success. Another romance was A Storm of Love (1961) co-starring Nahed Sherif in her first leading role, and the film was a commercial failure. He played his first villain role of his career, starring in Me and my Daughters (1961) alongside leading veteran actor Zaki Rostom supported by Nahed Sherif and Fayza Ahmed, and the film was a success. The following years, Zulfikar achieved success throughout the Middle East through multiple film genres. He shared the lead with Mariam Fakhr Eddine in horror film The Cursed Palace (1962), a box-office hit. He was paired with Soad Hosny for the second time in Ezz El-Dine Zulficar's A Date at the Tower (1962), the film was a box-office hit.
In 1963, unexpectedly, he appeared in only two films in co-starring roles. However, his role as Issa El Awam in Saladin the Victorious by Youssef Shahine was praised, and in the same year, he played Doctor Hamooda in Soft hands (1963) with his performance earning him state's award for best actor in a leading role. The film was a participant in 14th Berlin International Film Festival in 1964. Zulfikar starred in A Husband on Vacation, a romantic comedy providing the female lead Laila Taher her first leading role. In Italian cinema, he played a secondary role of an Egyptian police officer in the Italian film; Secret of the Sphinx (1964) directed by Duccio Tessari. After the film's release, Tessari asked Zulfikar to settle in Italy to earn better opportunities in Italian cinema but he refused and preferred to stay in Egypt. On stage, Zulfikar's debut was the 1964's A Bullet in the Heart alongside Laila Taher, it was based on Tawfiq al-Hakim's novel under the same name. The play was shown for a whole year in Cairo theaters.
The romantic drama; Aghla Min Hayati (1965) was successful and his performance is regarded as one of Zulfikar's greatest. It earned him state award for best actor in a leading role. In the following years, the film turned out to be a romantic classic and the two main characters of Ahmed and Mona became a symbol of love and affection among Egyptians. Fatin Abdel Wahab's romantic comedy trilogy; My Wife, the Director General (1966), My Wife's Dignity (1967), and My Wife's Goblin (1968) were a financial and critical success and the audience loved the duo of Zulfikar and Shadia.
In 1967, Zulfikar starred in the political play; Rubabikia (1967). In films, he co-starred in Kamal El Sheikh's The Man Who Lost His Shadow (1968), with a cast including Magda and Kamal el-Shennawi. In 1969, he starred in the comedy; Good Morning, My Dear Wife (1969). The film was a commercial hit in theaters in Egypt and the Arab world. This encouraged Zulfikar to give an opportunities to a new generation of actresses co-starring in his next films, such as Nelly, Mervat Amin and Naglaa Fathy.
1970s: bankable star Exceeding a decade as a bankable star in Egypt and the Arab world, in the 1970s, Zulfikar was focused on commercial success. He starred in My Husband's Wife (1970), a box-office hit alongside leading actresses; Nelly and Naglaa Fathi. In the same year, he earned critical recognition from Cairo critics for his performance as Amin Akef in Kamal El Sheikh's political thriller Sunset and Sunrise (1970), with Soad Hosny and Rushdy Abaza. His next role was Fahmy in Virgo (1970) with Zulfikar in the lead alongside Nahed Sherif, Adel Emam and Lebleba.