‘Special Case’ is a new Egyptian drama about people with autism and their social integration. The series has lured a wide audience and topped Google searches from its first episodes. People on social media have been asking about the story, autism syndromes and whether the main character is genuinely that smart.
Screening on ‘Watch It’ platform, the story revolves around Nadim, a young autistic lawyer who applies for a job at a law firm run by ‘Amani’, one of the best lawyers in Egypt, but she rejects him at first.
Nadim tells Amani that he graduated with the highest grades in his class, but wasn’t appointed at the university because he is “an unusual person”. However, despite the rejection, the autistic lawyer manages to solve a case that other lawyers failed to, which makes Amani realize his exceptional intelligence and hire him eventually.
The 10-episode series screens every Wednesday. It’s written by Mohab Tariq, directed by Abdelaziz el-Naggar, and starred by Ghada Adel, Taha Desouky, Hassan Abouelrouss and Ahmed Amin (honorary guest).
The director behind the drama believes that the work “shed lights on a tough topic in a simple way.” “Although ‘Special Case’ looks like a light social drama, it discusses a serious and sensitive topic that’s not commonly discussed in Egypt: people with disabilities,” he told Asharq Al-Awsat.
“It showcases the life of Nadim ... that takes the viewers to a world of humanity and romance,” he added.
“People with autism are no different than ‘Nadim’. They are smart, disciplined, ambitious and emotional. They just have a ‘special case’ that merits respect and support,” Abdelaziz al-Naggar explained.
When asked about the scenes that made the people around Nadim laugh because of the way he speaks or behaves, Naggar said: “Those are part of the pragmatism and credibility of the work. The drama is not using comedy for sarcasm, but to express a sort of astonishment that stems from some people’s ignorance of autism, the uniqueness of those having it, their intelligence and remarkable precision. Autism is being different, not ill or shameful,” he noted.
