It is the belief of veteran actor Dariush Asadzadeh that the grand festival of Nowruz, which marks the start of spring and is celebrated in Iran and neighboring countries Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Turkey, is like no other in the world.
The grand festival of Nowruz, which ushers in the Persian New Year at the exact moment of the vernal equinox, is all about sweet childhood memories, the profound smell of green grass, the nature, and the table setting known as Haft-Sin, which means the seven S’s in Persian. The table features seven items all of which start with the letter S in Persian. These symbolic items smell good and represent health, prosperity, longevity, reproduction and happiness for the family members throughout the year. When you are young, these are grand memories for you, but when you grow old they totally mean something else.
It’s the Persian New Year and a great opportunity to talk to the veteran artist about everything; about his past, the Old Tehran, and his new book "The Garden of Lalehzar".
Besides working in cinema, television and theater, you also write books, do research and tell stories. How did it all begin?
I used to read a lot of books on theater, cinema, religion and so on. That helped and inspired me to do some research on them. I’m still stuck behind my desk doing research until late at nights. I have seen things that are unquestionably interesting to younger generations to hear. I can talk about the old city of Tehran when its population was just about 300,000 people. It’s incomprehensible for many people today. I can talk about the ancient district of Lalehzar, the first modern boulevard in Tehran, above which there was a vast swath of desolate landscape. I can remember vividly the old theater industry as well. I saw everything with my own eyes. This helps me have something to write about based on my own personal experiences and not on what I have heard from some unreliable sources.
When doing research, do you also talk to people from your generation?
There’s no one left from those days. I’m the last man standing. I’m 94 years old. No one is older than me in this particular field. I can talk about everything that happened 70 years ago and with exact accuracy, because I saw them happen with my own eyes. In those days, people were honest, always trustworthy. You could easily borrow money from someone without having to give him a check or guarantee. People trusted each other a lot. It gives me the reason to write about those wonderful times.
Do you miss the old times?
Of course I do. I like to go back to the Old Tehran, when its alleys were narrow and dark. There were narrow streams going right through them. When I remember these things, it’s like I’m living through the old times all over again.
Are you writing any book right now?
I’m writing a book called "The Garden of Lalehzar". It’s a garden outside the city when Fath-Ali Shah was the monarch of Iran. Fath-Ali Shah was the second Qajar emperor. He reigned from 17 June 1797 until his death. He used to frequent this historic garden. It was called Lalehzar because it was full of colorful poppy flowers. Later on, he sold the garden for 1,000 tomans, after which it became a frequent place of visit for politicians such as Mokhberoddoleh, Ali Asghar Atabak, and Qaem Maqam Farahani, among others. My book covers the historical period that stretches from Shah Tahmasb (1514-1576) to Reza Shah (1878-1944). At the end of the first chapters, I have included my own personal memories and photographs.
Did you take these photographs or are they collected items?
I personally collected them. I like taking photographs. I used to take many photos using an old Agfa camera. Then I stopped taking them because I got too busy doing other things. All the photos about theater in those days, I took them myself.
Are you still working in cinema and television?
Last year, I worked in a number of movies, including "Crazy Heart" by Bahman Farman Ara. This year, I haven’t started anything yet.
It’s the new calendar year. What is your take on that? Why is Nowruz so important to Iranians?
There are many similar festivities in other places in the world, but Nowruz is like no other. This is the festival of festivals and the best holiday season in the world. It starts with the first day of spring and is celebrated by hundreds of millions of people from other ethno-linguistic groups in a dozen countries. This is an ancient festival which more than doubles its importance to us. I have been to many other world festivals; but none is like Nowruz.
What is it that still captivates you after all these years?
I like the solitude. Perhaps this has to do with my age. I also like Haft-Sin table which has seven symbolic items representing health, prosperity, longevity, reproduction and happiness. I help my wife arrange the table each and every year. The items on the table complete each other. We need all of them, else the table will be half-finished. What you see today on the table is what I used to see 80 years ago as kid. People also exchange gifts and money to congratulate each other on the advent of the New Year. But I don’t like to exchange gifts. I have no money (he laughs).
What is your New Year wish?
When I sit at Haft-Sin table, I pray for my family, for my country, and for people around the world. I pray to see goodness and purity take over the whole planet. I always pray at the table because it’s the best time of the year and the best place on earth to pray. I pray health and happiness for everyone. I cannot stand pain and suffering anymore. I do pray to stay healthy so I can finish off my book.
Literally translated into New Day, Nowruz is the first day of the Iranian solar calendar. The UN's General Assembly recognized the International Day of Nowruz in 2010, describing it as a spring festival of Iranian origin, which has been celebrated for over 3,000 years. Also in 2009, Nowruz was officially registered on the UNESCO List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Translation by Bobby Naderi