.jpg "Mohammad-Ali Keshavarz makes a gesture to the audience during a ceremony held at Tehran’s Andisheh Cultural Center on January 17, 2015 to honor the stage and screen actor for his lifetime achievements.")
TEHRAN -- Veteran stage and screen actor Mohammad-Ali Keshavarz was honored on Saturday during a ceremony attended by a large number of cineastes and fans held at Tehran’s Arasbaran Cultural Center.
Mohammad-Ali Keshavarz, 84, has played several memorable roles in Iranian cinema. Among his credits are “Mother” and “Love-Stricken” by Ali Hatami.
Speaking at the ceremony, Iranian National Commission for UNESCO Director Mohammadreza Saeidabadi recited selections of poetry by Ferdowsi and Rumi, and presented the poems to Keshavarz and said, “We will do our best to introduce our art and cultural figures to the world more.”
Iranian Theater Forum Managing Director Iraj Raad was called on stage to talk about the actor.
He regarded Keshavarz as one of the great actors who is famous for his humanity, adding, “Keshavarz has a specific voice. He is a capable actor and also helps the youth.
“His power, his special appeal, his independence and his ability to perform diverse roles enabled him to communicate with the audience better,” he added.
The ceremony continued with screening excerpts of films in which he had played a role such as Ali Hatami’s “Mother.”
Film critic Akbar Aalami in his short speech referred to the roles the master had played in, including the TV series “My Uncle Napoleon” by Nasser Taqvaii (1976).
Actor Jamshid Hashempur and Akbar Zanjanpur also appeared on stage to talk about their friend Keshavarz.
Pianist Saman Ehteshami performed pieces from the two TV series Keshavarz had played in, “Patriarch” by Akbar Khajuii and “Hezar-Dastan” by Ali Hatami.
Keshavarz was the last who went on stage despite his illness and expressed his thanks to all the participants in his friendly words.
Addressing the participants, he said, “If I did something, you were the source of inspiration and I would suggest that the youth who are interested in acting should try to get to know their country better.
“They should learn to be noble, the youth should learn to love their country,” he concluded.
Born in 1930 in Isfahan, Keshavarz began his stage acting career in 1948 and entered the world of cinema with “Night of the Hunchback” by Farrokh Ghaffari in 1964.
He has so far acted in many famous hits including “Mother”, “Kamalolmolk” and “Delshodegan” by Ali Hatami, and “Through the Olive Trees” by Abbas Kiarostami.
His roles in TV series such as “Sarbedaran” and “Hezar-Dastan” are also significant.
RM/YAW
END