Damascus – Rajaa Al-Eissamy
Syrian superstar Khalid Taja has been admitted to the intensive care unit in Al-Shami hospital, Damascus due to lack of oxygen. The 70 year old actor is also suffering from lung cancer. Syrian director Tamer Isaac, who visited Taja in hospital, said: “I went with a group of colleagues to the hospital to check on the health of Taja, but we could not talk to him because visits are prohibited.” Isaac, who is currently filming “Al-Amimi” that stars Taja, said the veteran actor was not injured during the making of the new series but while at home. The director said there was no need to move Taja to the American University Hospital in Beirut as there was team of the best Syrian doctors that was taking care of him. Taja confirmed in his last interview that had a host of productions lined up for 2012, includinge “Al-Amimi” with Tamer Isaac, “Ibn Al-Maita” with Najy Taemy and “Miriam” with Basil Al-Khatib. Taja was born in Damascus in 1939 and dedicated his career to Syrian television when he started the Free Theater Band in 1957. The group included many big names like Sabry Ayad, Hekmat Mohsen, Anwar Al-Baba and was headed by the late Abdul Latif Fathy.