Stars of Arabic 'Suits' say their show is familiar but with a distinct regional twist

The first two seasons of the OSN Original series will be out in April during Ramadan

Actor Ahmed Dawood pays the counterpart to Patrick Adams' Michael Ross, a college dropout turned unlicensed lawyer, for the Arabic 'Suits'. All photos: Pawan Singh / The National

The OSN 'Suits' red carpet event held at a plaza between Emirates Towers and the Museum of the Future in Dubai.

Tara Emad plays Meghan Markle's character Rachel.

Asser Yassin takes on the lead role of Harvey Specter, a suave corporate lawyer originally played by US actor Gabriel Macht.

Producer Tarek El Ganainy and actor Dawood at the 'Suits' event in Dubai.

Mohamed Shahin also stars in the Arabic 'Suits'.

Dawood says he was careful not to imbibe too much from the original Michael Ross.

Emad has long been a fan of the original 'Suits' and relates to Rachel’s ambitious and hardworking nature, as well as her love for food.

The Arabic adaptation of Suits will have all the wit and sophistication that made the US legal drama a favourite, the show’s producer said.

The first OSN Original series will still be distinctive, however. Specifically tailored to regional audiences, it will feature court cases and relationship dynamics that are unique to Egypt and the wider Arab world.

“The show is similar to the original version,” said Tarek El Ganainy, founder of TVision for Media Productions, at a red carpet event held on Tuesday at Emirates Towers, Dubai, to mark the show’s imminent launch.

“But for those who haven’t heard of or never watched the US version of Suits, they will feel like it’s an Arabic series. Maybe it will be a little bit different to what they’re always used to, but it’s an Arabic series.”

Suits is scheduled to be released this Ramadan, which is predicted to begin on April 2. Most of the Egyptian talents starring in the show attended the event, including Ahmed Dawood, Tara Emad, Asser Yassin, Reem Mostafa and Mohamed Shahin.

“We are launching the first two seasons during Ramadan,” El Ganainy told The National. “Other seasons are on the table.”

He said he had been working on the Arabic version of Saturday Night Live when he approached NBC Universal in 2017 for the rights to Suits. He said he was "lucky enough" that the production company had the rights to both shows, as he is "a really big fan" of Suits and was long considering spearheading an Arabic adaptation.

"Five years later and it's about to be released.” El Ganainy said.

“Production was hectic and inspiring and you lose a lot of sleep and your beard starts turning white and a lot of things happen. But when problems do arise on a project that you really love and enjoy and have a lot of passion for, it’s all the sweeter to bear.”

Actress Emad plays a character based on Rachel in the original Suits, a role made famous by Meghan Markle.

She said she is a dedicated fan of the legal drama, and could always relate to Rachel’s ambitious and hardworking nature as well as her love for food.

“While watching Suits, I always thought ‘God, I want to be in that series, in that role’,” she told The National. “I connect very much with Rachel as a personality. She constantly wants to prove herself and to the people around her that she can do it that she can succeed that she's gonna pass that exam that she needs to pass in order to be a lawyer.”

Emad said the OSN adaptation of Suits takes a lot of cues from the original show, but that the end result is remarkable and distinct.

“We’re speaking in a different language, we're in a different place where discussing different matters and different lawsuits. There are a lot of things that have the same core as the original show, but a lot has been Arabised and Egyptianised for the Arab audience.”

While Emad said she has long seen all nine seasons of the original Suits, actor Dawood, who takes on the role that is a counterpart to Patrick Adams’ Michael Ross, only watched the show after he was cast in the part. Even then, he was careful not to imbibe too much, wanting to put his idiosyncratic spin on the character, a college dropout turned unlicensed lawyer.

“An Egyptian show must have uniquely Egyptian elements to it,” he said. “From how my character has the opportunity to get into law, to his relationship with those around him, his upbringing and background, it’s all based on uniquely Egyptian elements. If you adapted the character too similarly to the original Mike, you’ll find yourself quite confined.”

Dawood said there was some scepticism when the Suits adaptation was first announced in January. However, after the show’s teaser and trailer were released, Dawood said the cynicism transformed to excitement.

“I hope people are looking forward to the show, to see how much work we put into it and to see the attention to detail,” he said. “I hope people like it.”