Nasır Melek

Nasır Melek — Biography

Nasır Melek (Naser Malek Motiei in Iran) was an Iranian actor and director, one of the best-known screen actors in his country before the 1979 Revolution. He played leads in popular commercial productions known as "filmfarsi", and also appeared in the work of directors of a different bent, among them Ali Hatami, Masoud Kimiai, Zakaria Hashemi and Houshang Kavousi. He died in Tehran in 2018 at the age of 88.

He studied physical education in Tehran and taught sport in primary schools before turning to cinema. His screen roles begin in the mid-1950s and continue into the early 1980s. His notable films include Gheysar (1969), Baba Shamal (1971) and Ghalandar (1972). After Türker İnanoğlu discovered him he also acted in Turkish films, the best known being Deprem (1976) and Baraj (1977). Once he was established in film he also worked in the theatre.

After the Revolution, as with peers such as Mohammad Ali Fardin and Behrouz Vossoughi, his screen career could not continue and he appeared in only two films, getting by with work such as running a pastry shop and acting as a real-estate consultant. After a break of about thirty-five years he took a part in Ali Atshani's Naghshnegar. Many film fans attended his funeral, and he was buried in the artists' section of Behesht Zahra Cemetery next to the grave of Mohammad Ali Fardin.