
In Netflix's Catalog, Mohamed Farrag plays a widowed father learning to raise his children through YouTube
That's also the lesson of Farrag's new series Catalog, Netflix 's latest Arabic-language original. In it, he plays Youssef, a man who thinks he's a good father. He provides for his family – buys his wife, Amina, jewellery and cars, ensures his children, Karima and Mansour, have a good education and a roof over their heads. That should be enough, right?
When Amina dies, it suddenly becomes clear he has been living with strangers. Luckily for Yousef, he has some help. Amina was a parenting influencer and posted tips online. And so, for the first time, he starts watching her work on YouTube – learning from his late wife how to be a loving dad.
'If you have kids, it's a big problem if you don't know anything about them. Providing for them isn't enough, you have to be involved,' Farrag tells The National. 'This series is about love – how to love your kids and how to make them love you. And it's all about becoming involved in their problems, their day to day.'
Farrag, 42, is currently one of Egypt's most well-regarded actors. But it's been a slow climb to that perch – with the actor only coming into his own as a leading man over the last several years. His MBC horror series Room 207 earned rave reviews, as did his breakout 2023 film Voy! Voy! Voy! which became Egypt's Oscar submission. In 2024, he reteamed with his Newton's Cradle co-star Mona Zaki for the hit thriller Flight 404 – which even released theatrically in Europe.
With Catalog debuting on Netflix globally, Farrag has the chance to attain prominence on the world stage. And it's a moment he's finally ready for.
'I'm different now in the way I prepare for characters and approach each role. I feel I've really grown up,' Farrag says. 'I used to hate seeing myself on screen – but I've started to like myself in the last several years. Something changed in my mind. With each job I do, I see myself more clearly. It's hard for me to say it out loud, but I'm happy for myself.'
While it took him two decades to reach the top rung of the Egyptian film and television industry, acting was his passion before he even knew what it was.
'I didn't know it was called acting. My sisters and I would watch movies and TV shows, and then write down the script to our favourites. We'd start rehearsals, record ourselves doing it, and then play it back to make sure we were good. I have so many memories like that,' says Farrag.
To play a dad in Catalog, Farrag also had to become a surrogate father on set to child actors Retall Abdulaziz, and Ali El Beialy, who play Karima and Mansour. During their first encounter, Ali in particular was intimidated by Farrag, who he knew only from his work.
'I was nervous,' says Ali, 10. 'But Fegoo, as we call him, was very friendly and funny, and we became friends in the first 10 or 15 minutes. Then, when we started shooting, we used to see each other every day, so we got closer and closer until we became best friends.'
To forge the connection, Farrag took his own advice – getting involved and meeting his two younger co-stars on their own level. In doing so, he also reconnected with his childhood self – the one who would film videos with his sisters. But instead of home movies on a camcorder, the trio filmed TikToks.
'We were constantly making TikToks,' says Retall, 13. 'It was always me and Ali and Fegoo. We even made up our own gibberish language that we were always using on set.'
Ali proceeds to recite a line in said made-up language, which proves as incomprehensible as one might expect. 'Can you translate that?' Farrag asks. 'No,' says Ali with a laugh.
While he is the younger of the two child stars, Ali is already known across the Arab world as the breakout star of the Ramadan series Leh La 2 from earlier this year. For Retall, meanwhile, Catalog is her first role.
'I learnt a lot from Fegoo. He's the one who always stayed focused during the difficult scenes – he was always very helpful and committed. He would help me and Ali with everything,' says Retall.
Ali focused most closely on getting to know his character and finding the common ground the two shared. 'Mansour loves his mom, and I really love my mom, so I connected with him in this point,' says Ali. 'I got closer and closer to Mansour after every scene.'
And by leaning on each other, the three actors together explored what happens when you lose what means most to you.
'Our show has a lot of messages, but I think it's important to discuss the value of missing someone. To move forward, we need to keep even those we've lost involved in our lives,' says Farrag.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The National
6 hours ago
- The National
Timeframe: When Anderson Silva got booed in Abu Dhabi at first UFC event in the Middle East
UFC returns to Abu Dhabi for Fight Night on Saturday - 15 years ago after the Mixed Martial Arts promotion came to the Middle East for the first time. UFC 112 was held as an outdoor event at Ferrari World on Yas Island, with middleweight champion Anderson Silva headlining as he defended his title against Demian Maia after the original opponent, Vitor Belfort, withdrew because of an injury. Yet it was the other fights that got much more traction. BJ Penn, the celebrated lightweight champion, took on No 1-ranked challenger Frankie Edgar. It was quite the coup for Abu Dhabi as Silva and Penn were two of the strongest pound-for-pound MMA fighters at the time. The event was staged at the 12,000-seat outdoor concert arena at Ferrari World. In a rarity for the sport back then, UFC 112 would feature not one, but two title fights. 'Abu Dhabi is our first outdoor event and we are very happy we could deliver what fans around the world will recognise as a stacked card featuring the sport's biggest stars,' UFC chief executive Dana White said at the time. Down the card, Renzo Gracie, a renowned Brazilian jiu-jitsu pioneer, made his UFC debut, going up against Matt Hughes, a former two-time welterweight champion. Excitement built throughout the week in the lead-up to fight night. Several activities along the Corniche climaxed with the official weigh-in at Marina Mall the day before the fighters took to the octagon. It drew a large turnout. As for the action itself, Mark Munoz's second-round victory against Kendall Grove – by technical knockout – won 'fight of the night' on the 10-bout card. DaMarques Johnson claimed 'knockout of the night' by dispatching Brad Blackburn brutally in the third. In the evening's fourth and final fight, Rafael dos Anjos earned 'submission of the night' as his armbar in the second round caused Terry Etim to submit. Each fighter took home $75,000 (Dh275,000) in bonuses. In the major bouts, Gracie succumbed to Hughes in the third, while Penn suffered a surprise loss to Edgar, relinquishing his lightweight belt on a unanimous decision. A tightly contested bout, it was Penn's first defeat in that division in eight years. Much to everyone's frustration, the headline act failed to live up to its billing. Undefeated in his previous 10 UFC outings, Silva ran out a unanimous winner on points, only the second time in 11 fights that he needed the judges' scorecards. However, Silva's performance left those in attendance frustrated. Seeking a UFC record of six title defences, he rarely engaged with Maia, taunting his opponent through the opening rounds. Soon, the Abu Dhabi crowd switched their support to the underdog. As Maia looked to take the fight to the ground, Silva's defence staved off his challenge, but did little to capture the fans' attention. At one point in the fifth, the referee ordered Silva to take the fight to Maia. Speaking afterwards in his native Portuguese, the victorious champion attempted to apologise above a crescendo of boos. 'I'm sorry,' Silva said. 'I wasn't as humble as I should have been. I will be better next time.' By that stage, White had already left. Disappointed with what he was witnessing, he departed the arena during the fourth round, foregoing his usual post-fight routine of presenting the champion their belt. In the press conference afterwards, White fumed: 'It was a disgrace. To end this night the way we did was embarrassing. I apologise to everyone who came to the fight.'


The National
6 hours ago
- The National
Yallah: Arabic word for 'let's go' is a call to action and an encouragement
In Arabic, yallah is used to move things along. It is a call to action, an expression of urgency, encouragement or even impatience. It can be translated to 'let's go', but its meaning is shaped entirely by context. You might hear it when someone wants you to hurry up, when a group is ready to leave, or when a conversation has gone on too long. It can be warm, firm, supportive or exasperated. Yallah is a fusion of two words: ya, which is a vocative particle similar to 'oh' or 'hey' in English, and Allah, the Arabic word for God. It is a contraction of ya Allah, meaning oh God. Over time, it became secularised in daily speech. Its religious weight is not as overt any more, but the word retains the energy of its plea. If you are running late and you would like a friend to hurry up, you could say: yallah taakharna. If you're waiting for them downstairs and want to hurry up and make a move: yallah, ana taht. You could even use it to wrap up a conversation: yallah, binhki baadein – or yallah, we'll talk later. To encourage someone, you could say: yallah, feek taamilha – yallah, you can do it. You could even use it to cheer your favourite sports team, simply by shouting yallah, yallah. Yallah is one of those words that has outgrown its origins, perhaps due to its flexibility. This is most evident by its prevalence in pop culture and music. Nancy Ajram, Cheb Khaled and Ragheb Alama all have songs with yallah in their title, but non-Arab singers have also adopted the word. Romanian singer Inna has a 2015 dance hit named Yalla. Iranian-Swedish singer Arash also has a song with US rapper T-Pain called Yalla.


The National
6 hours ago
- The National
Mr Chow review: London's famous Chinese restaurant serves up classics in Dubai
One of London's most famous Chinese restaurants has finally landed in Dubai. After its first restaurant took the UK dining scene by storm in 1968, the brand now has venues in New York, Miami, Beverly Hills and Las Vegas in the US, as well as an outpost in Riyadh. Its Dubai outpost opened in June, promising to bring its combination of classic dishes served in an elegant setting while embracing the nuances of the region. The restaurant's location is an immediate removal from the hustle and bustle of its older London sibling, swapping Knightsbridge for the second floor of a commercial tower in Dubai's financial district. Like Alice through the looking glass, you are transported into another universe when walking into Mr Chow – one that's a lavish space of high ceilings, low lighting and spectacular scenery. Where to sit and what to expect There is something charmingly classical about Mr Chow's aesthetic, with dark walls, dark furniture and minimalist white tablecloths. In a word, Mr Chow is polished. Whether that's the silver cutlery or the servers decked out in high-quality tuxedos, it's a restaurant that brings a touch of 1970s Britain to the modernity of DIFC. There's an array of seating options, with tables lining the floor-to-wall windows and a magnificent central bar area. My dining partner and I choose one of the central tables, which has a high-backed sofa seat offering up spectacular views of the cityscape around us. It's here that our server, Nick, explains the basics of the menu and we settle down for the dinner awaiting us. The menu To start with, we share a serving of chicken satay (Dh92) and glazed prawns with walnuts (Dh164). Consistent with Mr Chow's general feel, the two dishes are deliberately simple and classical. With both the chicken and the prawns, the core flavour blends wonderfully with the traditional tastes brought out in the marinade for the chicken and the walnut sauce with the prawns. They are excellent starters as they set the tone for the quality of the food that's to come, while also not being too heavy to rule out further dishes. Ma mignon (Dh297) is our main course of choice, served alongside the Gamblers duck (Dh295) with rice and vegetables (Dh75) on the side. Similar to our starters, they are two very different dishes that we choose to share, but they illustrate what Mr Chow is all about. A recipe since 1975, the ma mignon is a Mr Chow staple and serves up tender filet mignon with asparagus and a rich gravy. It's as delicious as it sounds. The Gamblers duck, meanwhile, is essentially a more sophisticated take on the archetypal Chinese takeaway order; crispy duck and pancakes. This, though, is an elevated experience and one that offers beautifully cooked meat – carved at your table on a silver plate – with pancakes, vegetables and plum sauce. For dessert, we go for the mango ice bowl (Dh95), which is arguably the piece de resistance and a wonderful way to end a fine meal. Its presentation is spectacular, with the ice elegantly surrounding the fruit. It's also very light and refreshing, meaning you have plenty of room to tuck in despite having dined on the heavier starters and mains. Just make sure you finish your dessert quickly, as it will melt before your eyes. Save or splurge A three-course meal at Mr Chow can cost between Dh230 and Dh581. On the high end of the price spectrum lie the vermicelli with lobster (Dh169), fresh live lobster (Dh317) and mango ice bowl (Dh95). The three most reasonable dishes across starters, mains and desserts are the crab claw (Dh92), mapo tofu (Dh90), and sorbet selection (Dh48). A chat with the chef The man behind the dishes at Mr Chow is head chef Zhang Yu Jun. Originally from Jiangsu, China, he has worked with the brand for almost three years before fronting the Dubai project. He particular enjoys cooking with seafood and beef. 'These ingredients allow for endless creativity and refinement,' he says. 'You'll find them featured throughout our menu, from delicate seafood dim sum to our signature meat dishes, always with a focus on freshness, precision, and innovation.' Chef Zhang describes his cooking style as one that is deeply respectful of the ingredients he works with. 'I draw inspiration from traditional Chinese cuisine while incorporating modern touches,' he says. 'My goal is always to balance authenticity, artistry and seasonal ingredients. 'For me, cooking is an artistic expression. I believe in respecting the ingredients, embracing seasonality and constantly improving my skills.' For vegetarian or vegan diners, he recommends the vegetarian squab with lettuce, for meat lovers his top tip is the Beijing chicken with walnuts, and for seafood aficionados, the live lobster gets the nod. His go-to starter is the satay chicken skewers, while he suggests the restaurant's selection of steamed seafood dishes all amount to good options for those looking for a healthier plate. Contact information Mr Chow is in Precinct Building 3 in the Dubai International Financial Centre. It is open daily from noon to midnight. Reservations can be made by calling 04 834 2013.