TEHRAN – Scholar Mohammad Tabatabai is writing a book on stage director Hossein Qashqai, who was martyred a month before the victory of the Islamic Revolution in 1979.

Tabatabai, who is the director of the Veteran Artists Institute that is affiliated with the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, said that he wanted to complete and unveil the book on the 40th anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution last year, however, the book was not completed due to a lack of sufficient information.

“I really wanted my first book to be about Qashqai because he was not only a theatrical figure, but also was known as one of the champions of the early days of the revolution,” he said.

“It was in 2018 when I decided to hold a memorial ceremony for the martyr, which was held at the Qashqai Hall of complex,” he added.

Qashqai was born in Shiraz and was a graduate of dramatic arts from the University of Tehran. During his career in dramatic arts, he staged plays that mostly reflected the oppression in the country under Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Iran’s last monarch, and this led to his dismissal from the then Theater Office.

He later was martyred during the funeral ceremony of martyr Kamran Nejatollahhi on Karegar Street in Tehran by the regime on December 26, 1978.

“Horufieh Movement,” and “Petrol” are among his written plays in addition to several articles and research works.

After his martyrdom and the victory of the revolution, a group of his friends decided to stage his play “Horufieh Movement”. 

The play was staged by director Davud Daneshvar with actors Tajbakhsh Fanaian, Saeid Kashen-Fallah, Mahmud Hendiani, Siavash Hashemian, Mohammad Kasebi, Kazem Baluchi and Jalil Farjad in 1980 at Charsu Hall of the City Theater Complex in Tehran. 

The Qashqai Hall of the complex has been named after martyr Qashqai.

Photo: A portrait of martyr Hossein Qashqai in an undated photo.

RM/MMS/YAW