TEHRAN -- A group of Iranian animators is working on stories about Molla Nasreddin, a witty and sometimes wise personality in Persian and Middle Eastern folktales, in a 21-episode series.
The screenplay has been written by Jamal Rahmati, who is also directing the animation project entitled “The Adventures of Molla Nasreddin”, producer Ali Mo’allen said in a press release on Tuesday.
“Iranian stories are one of the strong points of the Orient,” Mo’allen said and added, “Despite his fame in many countries including Turkey, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, India, Pakistan and even Bulgaria, Molla Nasreddin has rarely been the subject of a film.”
He said that the production of the series has been underway since 2012 and will conclude in October 2013.
Esfandiar Ahmadieh (1928-2012), who is considered the father of Iranian animation, made his debut with “Molla Nasreddin” based on a story about this character.
Encyclopaedia Iranica refers to Molla Nasreddin as “a character who appears in thousands of stories, always witty, sometimes wise, even philosophic, sometimes the instigator of practical jokes on others and often a fool or the butt of a joke.”
“Stories relating to Molla Nasreddin or Nasr-al-Din Hoca (as he is called in Turkey) are generally humorous, but in the subtle humor there is always a lesson to be learned. These stories involve people and incidents in all walks of life, including kings, beggars, politicians, clerics, etc.”
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