TEHRAN -- Veteran actor Hamid Jebelli has given the green light to pleas from his friends Fatemeh Motamed-Arya and Reza Kianian who have asked him to return to the stage after a lengthy hiatus from working in Iranian cinema.

Motamed-Arya, Jebelli’s old friend and costar in many movies, and actor Kianian made the pleas during a ceremony that the Association of Iranian Theater Photographers held at the Iranian Artists Forum on Monday evening to honor Jebelli who is also an old hand at photography of theater, filmmaking, painting and sculpture.

Motamed-Arya said that Jebelli has agreed to costar with her in a project, which will be directed by Iraj Tahmasb.  

“Mr. Jebelli’s life in solitude and his beautiful and kind world is very valuable and if he agrees to collaborate with Tahmasb’s crew it is due to the reason that no one is disrespectful to anyone else in that group,” she added.

In a short speech, Kianian said that Iranian cinema and theater need Jebelli and lamented over why he has deprived people of his art.

In an address, Jebelli also said that he does not want to evoke sympathy for his longtime absence from cinema and added that many reasons are behind his reluctance to work in cinema. 

He said that he is not a professional painter or sculptor and stated, “I live with pictures and images; even if want to fry some eggs I live with it. I want to tell you that we should learn to live from each other before anything else.”

The ceremony was part of the 9th Celebration of Theater Photographers Night. 

Jebelli didn’t act in any movies after his collaboration in “Kolah-Qermezi and Mama’s Boy”, the third sequel to Tahmasb’s comedy drama in 2012.

He previously acted in “Kolah-Qermezi and Pesar-Khaleh” (1992) and “Kolah-Qermezi and Sarvenaz” (2001). He also lent his voice to Kolah-Qermezi and Pesar-Khaleh, two puppet characters of the series. Motamed-Arya also acted in these films.

“Once Upon a Time” (1997), “The Pastry Girl” (2000) and “Under the Peach Tree” (2006) were other his credits, in which he acted along with Tahmasb and Motamed-Arya.

Jebelli also directed two features “The Son of Maryam” (1998) and “White Dream” (2003).

Photo: Hamid Jebelli (L) receives an award from actor Reza Kianian during a ceremony that the Association of Iranian Theater Photographers held at the Iranian Artists Forum on May 2, 2016 to honor the actor and photographer for his lifetime achievements. Actress Fatemeh Motamed-Arya and National Iranian Photographers’ Society Director Masud Zenderuh Kermani are also seen in the photo. (Mehr/Hossein Esmaeili)
 
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