When Mohammed Ahmed received the script for Musk, the latest film from Abu Dhabi director Humaid Al Suwaidi, the actor didn't simply look over it once or twice. "I read it 263 times," he says with some measure of pride. "It always hits me at certain moments of the script. It's always there. There are a few moments that always get me – again and again and again."
While reading a script that many times might be some sort of record, it shows how much the actor and producer cared about the project. He worked with Al Suwaidi on the latter's first feature-length film, 2015's Abdullah, which is about a young man from a conservative family who must hide his love for music. "We share the same interest in cinema," says Ahmed, explaining that the two of them would often deconstruct scripts and movies by filmmakers such as Francis Ford Coppola and Terrence Malick.
With Musk, Al Suwaidi delivers another sensitive family drama. Ahmed plays a character called Ahmed, who is in emotional turmoil after giving up his career in museum management to look after his dying father and oversee the family's similarly ailing perfume business. Also facing divorce, Ahmed must contend with his strained relationship with his son, Abdulrahman, 12.
"There are three generations in one story," says Ahmed. "It's the grandfather and his son, and the father and his son."
He references the old saying "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree". "It's actually something you can feel and sense," he says. "Somehow you become your father or your parent without knowing. I was attached to that idea."
Working with newcomers to the industry
Several newcomers to film acting feature in the movie. Theatre and TV veteran Dhaen Jumaa stars as Ahmed's father, while youngster Suhail Aljneibi plays Ahmed's son. "It was his first time acting, his first time in front of the camera. That means you have to be patient," says Ahmed. "At the beginning, it didn't make sense to him that lighting would take hours to arrange or that there wouldn't be only one take … it didn't make sense."
Eventually, the young actor got the hang of things. "By the end he became professional and he was ready for take one, take two, take three," says Ahmed. "And he was a good listener. That's the key in acting."
Did he recognise a little of himself in Aljneibi when he was starting out in his career? "No, he's way ahead of me," says Ahmed. "Slowly I learnt that there was a producer, a director and the crew."
Following his passion
Born and raised in Dubai, Ahmed turned his passion for movies into a profession, studying acting and filmmaking at the Sharjah Art Institute. He has worked on community theatre projects, but it's clear Ahmed welcomes the communal experience that a film shoot such as Musk provides. "We became a big family by the end of the shooting," he says. "It was more of a family film."
That might explain why Al Suwaidi describes Musk as his most personal film. Does Ahmed agree? "Yes, it is true," he says. "If it's not personal, I don't think he'd do it."
Even when it comes to acting, if you don't feel connected or it's a reflection of you somehow, you can't play it. So it is personal for the director and it had to be personal for me.
It's exactly what they learnt in screenwriting class. "If it's personal, it's always better to tell it," says Ahmed. "It has to be personal. Every page, it's a reflection somehow of you. Even when it comes to acting, if you don't feel connected or it's a reflection of you somehow, you can't play it. So it is personal for the director and it had to be personal for me."
Ahmed, 30, is also a director in his own right – this year he released a short, Maryam, about how a young Emirati woman's dream of becoming an actress clashes with the wishes of her family – and it remains to be seen when we will next see him on screen. "I stopped acting for 2019," he says. "In 2020 I might come back. This was a hard film to make and I needed time to empty the cup and come back stronger. The key is not to make a lot. We have few faces in our pocket. The key is to take your time and find something that you can strike back with."
He says he is influenced by actors such as Sean Penn, Dustin Hoffman, Marlon Brando and Tom Hardy, while Ahmed also cites Daniel Day-Lewis, the three-time Oscar-winner, whose brilliantly honed performances became increasingly rare in the latter years of his career. "When he makes a movie, what happens? Everybody goes, 'Oh, he makes a movie,'" he says. When it is suggested that such restraint is all too rare in film, he replies: "You don't want to be the guy who appears every year."
Musk opens in cinemas across the UAE on Thursday, August 29
Confirmed%20bouts%20(more%20to%20be%20added)
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Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
if you go
The flights
Emirates flies to Delhi with fares starting from around Dh760 return, while Etihad fares cost about Dh783 return. From Delhi, there are connecting flights to Lucknow.
Where to stay
It is advisable to stay in Lucknow and make a day trip to Kannauj. A stay at the Lebua Lucknow hotel, a traditional Lucknowi mansion, is recommended. Prices start from Dh300 per night (excluding taxes).
SPECS
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What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl
Power: 153hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 200Nm at 4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Price: Dh99,000
On sale: now
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Asia Cup Qualifier
Final
UAE v Hong Kong
Live on OSN Cricket HD. Coverage starts at 5.30am
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
RACE CARD
5pm: Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,400m
5.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh70,000 1,000m
6pm: Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 2,000m
6.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 2,000m
7pm: Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 1,600m
7.30pm: Al Ain Mile Group 3 (PA) Dh350,000 1,600m
8pm: Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,600m
Amith's selections:
5pm: AF Sail
5.30pm: Dahawi
6pm: Taajer
6.30pm: Pharitz Oubai
7pm: Winked
7.30pm: Shahm
8pm: Raniah
Sreesanth's India bowling career
Tests 27, Wickets 87, Average 37.59, Best 5-40
ODIs 53, Wickets 75, Average 33.44, Best 6-55
T20Is 10, Wickets 7, Average 41.14, Best 2-12
Company%20profile
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TCL INFO
Teams:
Punjabi Legends Owners: Inzamam-ul-Haq and Intizar-ul-Haq; Key player: Misbah-ul-Haq
Pakhtoons Owners: Habib Khan and Tajuddin Khan; Key player: Shahid Afridi
Maratha Arabians Owners: Sohail Khan, Ali Tumbi, Parvez Khan; Key player: Virender Sehwag
Bangla Tigers Owners: Shirajuddin Alam, Yasin Choudhary, Neelesh Bhatnager, Anis and Rizwan Sajan; Key player: TBC
Colombo Lions Owners: Sri Lanka Cricket; Key player: TBC
Kerala Kings Owners: Hussain Adam Ali and Shafi Ul Mulk; Key player: Eoin Morgan
Venue Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Format 10 overs per side, matches last for 90 minutes
Timeline October 25: Around 120 players to be entered into a draft, to be held in Dubai; December 21: Matches start; December 24: Finals
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Expert input
If you had all the money in the world, what’s the one sneaker you would buy or create?
“There are a few shoes that have ‘grail’ status for me. But the one I have always wanted is the Nike x Patta x Parra Air Max 1 - Cherrywood. To get a pair in my size brand new is would cost me between Dh8,000 and Dh 10,000.” Jack Brett
“If I had all the money, I would approach Nike and ask them to do my own Air Force 1, that’s one of my dreams.” Yaseen Benchouche
“There’s nothing out there yet that I’d pay an insane amount for, but I’d love to create my own shoe with Tinker Hatfield and Jordan.” Joshua Cox
“I think I’d buy a defunct footwear brand; I’d like the challenge of reinterpreting a brand’s history and changing options.” Kris Balerite
“I’d stir up a creative collaboration with designers Martin Margiela of the mixed patchwork sneakers, and Yohji Yamamoto.” Hussain Moloobhoy
“If I had all the money in the world, I’d live somewhere where I’d never have to wear shoes again.” Raj Malhotra
'Downton Abbey: A New Era'
Director: Simon Curtis
Cast: Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern, Maggie Smith, Michelle Dockery, Laura Carmichael, Jim Carter and Phyllis Logan
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh12 million
Engine 8.0-litre quad-turbo, W16
Gearbox seven-speed dual clutch auto
Power 1479 @ 6,700rpm
Torque 1600Nm @ 2,000rpm 0-100kph: 2.6 seconds 0-200kph: 6.1 seconds
Top speed 420 kph (governed)
Fuel economy, combined 35.2L / 100km (est)
Fixtures
Wednesday
4.15pm: Japan v Spain (Group A)
5.30pm: UAE v Italy (Group A)
6.45pm: Russia v Mexico (Group B)
8pm: Iran v Egypt (Group B)
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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FIRST TEST SCORES
England 458
South Africa 361 & 119 (36.4 overs)
England won by 211 runs and lead series 1-0
Player of the match: Moeen Ali (England)
