TEHRAN – Actor Reza Kianian has asked a group of young students at a Teheran film school to replace cellphones with books.

“If you are interested in acting you need to read books. You must read books written about acting,” Kianian said during a surprise birthday party the students organized for the 67-year-old actor at the Seventh Art Film School on Tuesday.

Kianian was attending the Transferring Experience Workshop held at the school dedicated to teens.

“If you are really interested in acting you should make every effort to achieve your goal,” he told the participating teens.

He also said that he has written five books about acting, which carry his opinions about acting and his articles about cinema and theater.

“Those who have entered cinema as a result of their attractive images or because of money, will not remain if they do not have the talent. Bahram Radan and Mahnaz Afshar are those who joined cinema because they were good-looking, but remained by working hard. We should do our job right and think about it. We should have nothing to do with others and should not make laws for them,” he explained.

Photo: Actor Reza Kianian blows the candle of his 67th birthday cake in a ceremony held at the Seventh Art Film School on June 19, 2018.

RM/MMS/YAW