Lebleba

Text: Youngest of four children two brothers and a sister Lebleba - whose birth name is Ninotchka - was named after the 1939 movie Ninotchka. That same year, her mother, Zarouhi Kalfaian, wanted to name her first daughter Ninotchka but because of a family tradition named her Perouz.

In 1946 when Lebleba was born, she named her Ninotchka. Her parents never left her at home alone and, at age 5, she accompanied them to an amateur gala at the Auberge Des Pyramides. When she saw the lights and heard the music, she promptly climbed onto the table and began to perform. The members of the jury were so impressed that they gave her the first prize, although the other competitors were all adults. Cinema Director Niazi Mustafa, who was on the jury, approached her parents and asked them to have her act in his film. At the studios she was named Lebleba deriving from the word "Labib" meaning quick and intelligent. With that first film she became famous overnight. For many years to come, she remained unchallenged in her role as the sassy little girl of the Egyptian stage and screen. Lebleba continued to act and sing in numerous comedies, stage & film productions, but her real chance in a more dramatic role came when late director Atef Al-Tayeb offered her the leading role in his film "Leyla Sakhena" or "Hot Nights" and she proved her talent as a serious actress.