Marjan

Shahla Safi Zamir (; born 14 July 1948 – 6 June 2020), better known by her stage name Marjan , was an Iranian actress and singer. The Islamic Revolution of 1979 stopped her career and for 27 years she was unable to continue her career.

Early life Shahla Safia Zamir was born in 1948 in Tehran. Her father, Ali Safi Zamir, was a local director in the Ministry of Transport, and her mother, Kobra Bahmani Tabari, was a primary school teacher. Marjan completed her primary education at Alvand High School. At the age of 12, she was a teenage reporter for "Etelaat Koodkan", a weekly published magazine for teenagers. At the same time she was a narrator for the magazine's weekly TV program. After graduating from high school, she married Mehdi Ali-Mohammadi, (a radio and dubbing narrator). This brought her a daughter, Poopak.

Professional life

Shahla Safia Zamir appeared in cinema at the age of 21, for the first time, in the film The World of Hope, directed by Ahmad Shirazi. Marjan started her career with cinema and took different roles in many movies.

Her husband encouraged her to become a singer, as he discovered that she had a soft and strong voice. The song "Kavir Del" which she adopted from a Turkish singer made her famous. She performed many other songs after that and participated in popular TV shows. She then quit acting and continued with her career of being a singer.

After the Islamic Revolution The Islamic Revolution in 1979 effectively halted her career. In 1980, two years after Iranian Revolution, Marjan was arrested and imprisoned for performing a song. Again in July 1982 she was arrested charged with supporting the People's Mojahedin of Iran. This time she was detained in Evin Prison until 1990. She, then, left Iran to live the rest of her life in the United States. In 2006 she settled in California. In an interview with Simaye Azadi TV, Marjan said that she and her Husband, Fereydoun Jurak, had been arrested, at their home, on 7 July 1982; and had been detained until early 1990. She also said, In the same interview that despite being released from jail, she had been banned from leaving the country for 17 years.

She fled Iran for Dubai in 2001 and eventually moved on to the United States, where she lived in Los Angeles, California until her death due to complications from surgery on 5 June 2020.

It was after performing a song "Rooyesh Nagozir" at the Organization of Iranian American Communities in Washington, DC, that Marjan started working with other artists in Mojahedin Khalq 's musical group and performed dozens of other songs including: Rooyesh Nagozir, Prohibition, Time to over thrown, what to Say, Evin Says, Let's Build a Homeland, The Martyrs of the city, The Flag, The Silent Scream, Eyes Walking and Unaware, and "we can and we must". Some of these works were made by the Iranian composer Mohammad Shams.

Death On 6 June 2020, following an operation, Marjan died due to a cardiac arrest. She spent the last years of her life in Los Angeles.

Maryam Rajavi, leader of the People's Mujahedin of Iran, expressed her condolences. She described Marjan as an example of female artists, "who rose up and fought the regime, are genuine representatives of the suffering of Iranian women and their passionate desire for liberation.” In a statement announcing her death, PMOI (Mojahedin Khalq) declared that She "remained committed to the cause of freedom until the last moment of her life." Reza Moeini, the head of the Iran-Afghanistan Office of Reporters Without Borders, wrote about (Shahla Safee Zamir) Marjan's death: An Artist, political prisoners in 1990 died, "Her memory and her voice and her steadfastness against the system of ruin remain with us". Golchin2 Konsert-e Marjan Shabha-ye khatkhati Khatereha (Re-recordings of the old songs) Seke-ye mah

Filmography + Film Year Film Role Director Notes 1969 Donya-ye poromid 1970 Sekke-ye shans Iraj Ghaderi 1970 Az yad rafteh 1971 Yek mard, yek shahr Zhaleh 1971 Gholam zhandarm Aman Manteghi 1971 Dalghak-ha 1972 Morgh-e tokhm-tala 1972 Mardi dar toofan Khosrow Parvizi , with Saeed Rad 1972 Mard-e ejarei 1972 Mardan-e khalij Nezam Fatemi 1972 Khanevade-ye sarkar Ghazanfar Reza Mirlohi 1972 Hamisheh Ghahreman Azizollah Bahadori 1972 Ghadir Aghdas 1973 Sarab Goli 1973 Keyfar 1973 Ghorboone Harchi Khoshgele Nezam Fatemi 1974 Salome Salome Fereydoun Jourak with Saeed Rad 1974 Salam Bar Eshgh Azizollah Bahadori 1974 Harjayee Morteza Aghili 1974 Agha Mehdi vared mishavad Parvin Fereydoun Jourak 1975 Hemmat 1975 Ham-ghasam 1976 Madar joonam aashegh shode Mehri 1979 Takye bar baad Maryam Fereydoun Jourak