jordan pulse -

By Atef Abu Hajar

For me, the hidden camera was never just an idea for laughs or entertainment—it was a dream that began growing inside me more than twenty years ago. I used to follow hidden camera shows from Egypt, Syria, and Jordan with passion, always telling myself: “One day, I’ll be there… but in our Jordanian style—from our streets, with the faces of our own people.”

Over the years, I gathered hundreds of ideas, writing down more than 300 prank scenarios. Then the moment came when that dream became reality. In 2007, journalist Yazan Khawas from Normina TV called me. He and director Shahada Al-Darabsa invited me to film a prank live with the hosts of the Between Asr and Maghrib: broadcaster Fouad Al-Karsha, Lebanese presenter Jessy Abu Faisal (based in Jordan), and presenter Roz Al-Souqi. That day, Fouad was late and didn’t participate in the prank.

While passing by my friend Dhafi Al-Abdallat’s printing shop, I remembered he had once asked to act in one of my projects when I was working as a producer, writer, and actor with Jordan TV on the second season of Heik w Mish Heik – Zaal w Khadra. I told him I was on my way to do a hidden camera prank and asked him to join me. He hesitated at first but caught up with me a few minutes later. That’s how we filmed our first hidden camera prank together.

From that moment, my colleague Dhafi Al-Abdallat and I launched the first installment of our Jordanian hidden camera series—and the success was beyond anything we imagined.

The wasn’t just a passing experiment—it gained huge popularity, aired on all Jordanian TV channels, and became the talk of the streets, homes, and cafés.

One moment I’ll never forget happened in 2013, while filming Sawa Bithoon with Yazan Khawas in Hussein Camp, Amman. We had a dear guest with us, the late star Dawood Jalajel, may he rest in peace. While filming, a group of neighborhood children gathered around me, shouting excitedly: “That’s the hidden camera guy!”

We all laughed, but the moment became warmer when Mr. Dawood smiled and said to me humbly: “Atef, I swear I think you’ve become more famous than me!”

That was proof that Dhafi and I had left a mark in people’s hearts—young and old alike.

Back in 2007, our first season featured 30 Jordanian artists, with 30 outdoor pranks involving people from across the Kingdom. It was genuine, unscripted fun—that was the secret of its success.

The aired during Ramadan on Jordan TV, most local channels, and some Arab ones, with incredible reactions from audiences. People loved us because we laughed with them, not at them—we entered their homes with light hearts and good intentions.

Dhafi and I complemented each other artistically. Sometimes we co-hosted, sometimes we each had our own style, but we always kept the original spirit—smart surprises, classy humor, and genuine laughter.

Each season, we brought new ideas: fresh locations, disguises, and prank styles, so the audience would feel each episode was truly different.

The best reward was people’s reactions on the street—taxi drivers, shop owners, street vendors, children—all stopping me to say: “I saw you filming that prank in Amman” or “You make us laugh without hurting anyone.”

That was the real success: people’s love and respect.

For me, hidden camera was never just a program—it was a way of life, a field test of people’s humanity, and a chance to bring laughter from the heart of reality.

After 15 years of pranks and adventures, I’m still learning something new every season, and I still believe that a laugh from the heart needs no special effects—only sincerity, respect, and good intentions.

Today, after becoming “the hidden camera guy” in the memories of generations, I say proudly: “Yes… this was my dream, and thank God, I lived it fully—we made people laugh and proved that clean art has its place, its audience, and a lasting impact.”

Dhafi and I will continue to create, innovate, and laugh with people—not at them.

I must also highlight the ongoing and vital role of Al-Abdallat Production & Artistic Distribution, the exclusive producer of this special hidden camera series, and our main supporter in keeping the success alive through every season and change.

It’s worth noting that the Jordanian hidden camera series did not limit its success to Jordan—it reached the Arab world, airing on more than 20 major Arab TV stations and reaching millions from the Gulf to the Atlantic. We proved that genuine laughter needs no translation, and that clean art can cross borders and unite people with one smile, no matter their dialect or homeland.

As I reflect on this journey, I remember the words of the late Egyptian star Mazhar Abu Al-Naga, who greatly influenced our experience. After filming a prank with him, he told us warmly: “You, Dhafi and Atef, are like the sun and the moon—you light up both day and night. You are successful, unique, and you complete each other. Keep this success alive.”

Those words were like fuel for both of us—a confirmation that we were on the right path, and that what we were doing had real value in the world of art and media.