Zari Khushkam, Renowned Iranian Actress, Passes Away; Leila Hatami Mourns Her Mother

Iranian media reported on Friday, May 17, the passing of Zari Khushkam, a renowned Iranian actress. She was 77 years old at the time of her death. Zari Khushkam, who is best known for her roles in pre-revolutionary cinema, was the wife of the late director Ali Hatami and the mother of prominent Iranian actress Leila Hatami. In addition to acting in Ali Hatami's films, she also appeared in works by other directors such as Khosrow Haritash and Reza Mirlohi. Born in 1947, the 1970s were considered the most significant period of her artistic career. After the 1979 revolution, she became a less active and reclusive artist; however, in recent years, she had acted in films such as 'Sholavar,' 'Tala Khun,' 'What Time Is It in Your World,' and 'The Image of a Woman in the Distance.' 'Sultan Sahibqaran' and 'Hezardastan,' directed by Ali Hatami, are among the television series in which Zari Khushkam acted. According to Iranian media, her funeral will be held on Saturday, May 18, in the Artists' Section of the cemetery, and she will likely be buried alongside her husband, Ali Hatami. Some Iranian government news agencies refrained from mentioning Khushkam's name in their headlines, referring to her as 'Leila Hatami's mother' or 'Ali Hatami's wife.' The ISNA news agency also referred to her as 'Zahra,' rather than her well-known name 'Zari.'