Mehran Modiri (; born 7 April 1967) is an

Iranian Iranian () may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Iran ** Iranian diaspora, Iranians living outside Iran ** Iranian architecture, architecture of Iran and parts of the rest of West Asia ** Iranian cuisine, cooking traditions and practic ...

director, actor, comedian, producer, screenwriter, host and singer.

Career

His various series, which have been broadcast through

IRIB The Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB; ) or Seda va Sima () for short, formerly called National Iranian Radio and Television until the Iranian revolution of 1979, is an Iranian state-controlled media corporation that holds a monopo ...

have set records in terms of viewership (an estimated 95% viewership when he is on-air), as well as making him a popular personality among the masses. His artistic career began in his teenage years acting in local plays. He then entered the world of radio and television in the early 1990s, actively writing scripts for and participating in various comedy skits during the annual

Norooz Nowruz (, , () , () , () , () , Kurdish language, Kurdish: () , () , () , () , , , , () , , ) is the Iranian or Persian New Year. Historically, it has been observed by Iranian peoples, but is now celebrated by many ...

comedy television shows broadcast by the

. He achieved real stardom with his creation of '' Pavarchin'' (''Tiptoeing''), in which he won numerous awards for directing and starring in the picture. He tasted success again when he directed and starred in '' Noghtechin'' (''Ellipsis''), and '' Jayezeye Bozorg'' (''The Grand Prize''), which became major hits on television in Iran. Later, he followed ''Pavarchin''s storyline with the making of ''

Shabhaye Barareh ''Barareh Nights'' () is a 2005 Iranian satire television series broadcast by the IRIB network. The series ended after 92 episodes; the storyline of ''Barareh Nights'' was not complete. It aired in Iran daily at 8:00 p.m. Tehran time on Cha ...

'' which became his most popular television program yet; the show remained incomplete after it was criticized for offending rural people. This resulted in an abrupt end to the show after 92 episodes without completely explaining the Barareh history. He starred in two full-length films and had planned on entering the film industry once again after ''Shabhaye Barareh'' was completed. However, he instead produced and released his next project, the television series ''

Baghe Mozaffar ''Mozaffar's Garden'' () is a 2006 Iranian satire television series. It was directed by Mehran Modiri, who also narrates and stars as the title character. It ran from 1 September to 15 October 2006, with reruns continuing through 2007. Plot Sia ...

''. One of his most popular tv series was The man with a thousand faces, broadcast in 2008. Modiri has also released a music album and performed in a number of concerts. He is also a veteran of the

Iran–Iraq War The Iran–Iraq War, also known as the First Gulf War, was an armed conflict between Iran and Iraq that lasted from September 1980 to August 1988. Active hostilities began with the Iraqi invasion of Iran and lasted for nearly eight years, unti ...

. In 2009 Modiri was named by ''

Newsweek ''Newsweek'' is an American weekly news magazine based in New York City. Founded as a weekly print magazine in 1933, it was widely distributed during the 20th century and has had many notable editors-in-chief. It is currently co-owned by Dev P ...

'' as one of the 20 people who dominate power and public discourse in Iran. Between 2015 – 2018 Modiri was mostly seen on Nasim TV with his program '' Dorehami''. In order to condemn the

death of Mahsa Amini On 16 September 2022, 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian woman Mahsa Amini, also known as Jina Amini, died in a hospital in Tehran, Iran, under suspicious circumstances. The Guidance Patrol, the Islamic religious police, religious morality police of ...

and support the nationwide protests, Mehran Modiri announced by publishing a video on his

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that none of the Iranian television channels have the right to publish his image in television advertisements and periodicals. A few days after these events, the

Iranian government The Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran (), known simply as ''Nezam'' (), is the ruling State (polity), state and current political system in Iran, in power since the Iranian Revolution and fall of the Pahlavi dynasty in 1979. Its Const ...

announced that Mehran Modiri has been banned from leaving the country, however, Iranian news agencies have announced that Mehran has left Iran.

Personal life

Mehran Modiri is the last child of a family originally from the city of Arak. He has three older brothers. Modiri was born and raised in a low-income family in the south of Tehran, Iran. He worked in many physical and low-paying jobs as a child and teenager, including carpenter, porter, welder, mechanic, and baker.

Filmography

Film

Web

Television

Theater

Discography

;Albums * 1999: ''Deltangi-ha'' – Declamation of Hatef Alimardani 's Poems. * 2000: ''Az Roo-ye Sadegi'' – composed by: ''Babak Bayat'' and ''Fardin Khalatbari'' ;Singles * 2003: ''Ahang-e Film-e Hamnafas'' – composed by: ''Fardin Khalatbari'' * 2004: ''Ahang-e film-e Shabhaye barareh'' * 2005: ''Ahang-e film-e Baghe mozaffar'' * 2010: ''Ahang-e serial-e Ghahveye Talkh'' – two tracks, produced by ''Bahram Dehghanyar'' * 2010: ''Bia Berim Kooh'' – produced by ''Darkoob Band'' in ''Darkoob Album'' * 2010: ''Heyran'' – produced by ''Darkoob Band'' in ''Darkoob Album'' * 2016: ''Ahang-e Titraje Dorehami'' – composed by ''Mahyar Alizadeh'' * 2016: ''Ahang-e serial-e Zaaferani'' – Two tracks, composed by ''Mahyar Alizadeh'' * 2017: ''Ahang-e Yar Toei'' – composed by ''Mahyar Alizadeh''

Awards and nominations

Mehran Modiri with 7 awards holds the record for most Hafez Awards won by an individual until 2018

References

External links

Fan website
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Modiri, Mehran 1967 births Living people Iranian comedians Male actors from Tehran Iranian male singers Musicians from Tehran Iranian film directors Iranian male film actors Iranian male stage actors Iranian stand-up comedians Iranian television directors Iranian male television actors Iranian television talk show hosts Iranian radio and television presenters Islamic Republic of Iran Army soldiers of the Iran–Iraq War