Buthaina al-Raisi to Arabstoday: I love working with Khaliji giants

Omani actress Buthaina al-Raisi has said that she is proud to be working with soap superstars Souad Abdullah and Hayat al-Fahad on the upcoming Khaliji series El-Beit Beit Abouna (Dad’s House). Speaking to Arabstoday, al-Raisi described the two veteran actors as “two giants of the Khaliji drama scene”, who “really respect and look after the new generation of actors coming through.” "They each have their own unique qualities and no other actors can be anything like them,” she said. Khaliji is often the name given to soaps or TV series originating from the Gulf states of Oman and Abu Dhabi. They are popular with locals as well as other viewers in the Middle East. The latest series al-Raisi is working on, the aptly named El-Beit Beit Abouna (Dad’s House), is written by renowned Qatari Widad al-Kawari and tells the story of a father and his two divorced daughters. The series is designed to tackle the suffering inflicted by divorce as well as showing how children deal with acrimonious splits, said al-Raisi. “The drama handles the topic of divorce and the impact it has on children in a new way,” she said. “I think it breaks the monotony that often appears in most Khaliji shows. I hope it will be a hit with the public when it is aired during Ramadan,” she added. Despite having a busy schedule in the past few years, Dad’s House is set to be al-Raisi’s only TV appearance this season – a decision which has drawn criticism from some of her fans. "Some people have reproached me for doing just the one project for Ramadan, but I'd rather do one series that is great and has a great cast, than appear in four or five shows that are professionally unfulfilling,” said al-Raisi. Speaking about a possible transition into cinema, the actress told Arabstoday: "I haven't yet found a script that has made me consider it. Also the film industry in the Gulf area is still very weak, with most movies made for Arab and international audiences being amateur projects and not professional productions." She pointed out the reason the film industry remained small in the Gulf states was because “producers lack faith in the industry and prefer to invest in other lucrative businesses.” “You don't have to make films that win Oscars, but at least go out of your way to invest in the country’s talents. Who knows, we might even produce a huge hit," said Al-Raisi. The Oman actress was also quick to dismiss rumours of her upcoming nuptials, saying the reports are utterly untrue.” "No woman can live without a man because they complete each other, but I'm waiting for the right person with whom I want to spend the rest of my life. It's a huge step and requires a lot of consideration," she said.