Forouzan, Pre-Revolution Cinema Star, Passes Away

Forouzan, a star of pre-revolution Iranian cinema, passed away on Sunday, January 24, in Iran. She was 78 years old at the time of her death. Forouzan, whose real name was Parvin Kheirbaksh, was born in 1937 in Anzali. She began her acting career in cinema in 1963 with her appearance in the film 'Sahil Entezar' directed by Siamak Yasemi. In 1965, she collaborated again with Siamak Yasemi in one of her most significant films, 'Ganj-e Qarun', and became one of the most important female actors of that era. Throughout her acting career, she mostly appeared in commercial films of those years and, along with Fardin, was one of the stars of the so-called Filmfarsi genre. However, Forouzan's filmography also includes several different films resulting from her collaborations with directors such as Dariush Mehrjui and Ali Hatami. In the 1970s, she took a different path in her choices and became more selective compared to the 1960s. In 1971, she appeared in the film 'Babashamil' directed by Ali Hatami, which earned her the Best Actress award at the Sepas Festival. Earlier, in 1969, she had also won this award for her role in the film 'Tangeh-e Azdaha' directed by Siamak Yasemi. Other notable works of this actress in the 1970s include 'Qalandar' directed by Ali Hatami, 'Doshneh' directed by Fereydoun Gole, and of course 'Dayereh Mina' directed by Dariush Mehrjui. 'Dayereh Mina', featuring Forouzan, Saeed Kongarani, Ezzatollah Entezami, and Ali Nasirian, was made in 1974 but was banned for four years due to its subject matter. This film, which is considered the most important work in Forouzan's career, was finally released to the public in 1979 for a short period. The last film in which Forouzan acted before the revolution was 'Sarsarpedeh' directed by Iraj Ghaderi. After the revolution, she chose to stay in Iran and, like some other prominent actors of that time, became reclusive and silent. This pre-revolution star was neither seen in gatherings nor did any interviews or discussions appear from her after the revolution. During her two decades of continuous activity in Iranian cinema, she appeared in 58 feature films, most of which were directed by Siamak Yasemi. It is reported that her funeral will be held on Tuesday, January 25, by her close friends and acquaintances.