TEHRAN -- Parviz Shahinkhu, the Iranian star of Tunisian filmmaker Nacer Khemir’s 2005 acclaimed drama “Bab’Aziz - The Prince That Contemplated His Soul”, died of respiratory problems at his home in Tehran on Saturday. He was at 101.

“He passed away in the early hours of Saturday while he was bedridden over the past month,” his daughter, Mina, told the Persian service of MNA.

Shahinkhu’s last public appearance was in last September when he attended the 17th Iran Cinema Celebration, during which his 100th birthday was also celebrated. 

Shahinkhu was also famous for his parts in the popular series “Qarib’s Life”, filmmaker Kianush Ayyari’s biopic on Mohammad Qarib (1909-1974), the founder of pediatrics in Iran, and Amrollah Ahmadju’s “Once Upon a Time” about Hesam Beik and Morad Beik, the leaders of two major bandit gangs that attacked travelers before Reza Shah came to power in Iran in 1925.

Born in 1915, he acted in “Haji Agha, the Cinema Actor” (1934) and “Abi and Rabi” (1935) Iran’s first and second movies directed by Ovanes Oganians, a Russian-Armenian migrant.

He played the parts of many wise characters in dozens of movies, telefilms and series.

Photo: Actor Parviz Shahinkhu (R) blows out the candles on his 100th birthday cake during a celebration that the organizers of the 17th Iran Cinema Celebration held in Tehran on September 12, 2015. Filmmaker Homayun Asadian, whos was the director of the celebration, is also seen in the photo. (Mehr/Majid Haqdust) 

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