Mehran Modiri

Mehran Modiri (; born 7 April 1967) is an Iranian director, actor, singer, producer, and television host. Newsweek magazine named him the 20th most powerful man in Iran in 2009. Modiri has won the Hafez Award 10 times, holding the record for the most awards in its history. He was nominated for the Crystal Simorgh for Best Actor at the Fajr Film Festival for his role in There's Always a Woman Involved.

Early life Mehran Modiri was born on April 7, 1967, in Tehran. He is originally from the city of Arak and is the youngest of six children. He has three older brothers: Mohsen, Masoud, and Mehrdad. Modiri began acting in theater at the age of 16, performing in plays such as Joke (1977), Telegraph (1979), Arsenal (1988), Pension (1989), Hamlet (1990), Simorgh (1991), Punching Bag (1992), and others. In 1989, he entered radio, working as a narrator for the Night Stories program for six years. In 1993, alongside Dariush Kardan, he created his first comedic program for Nowruz. He also acted in radio plays for Night Stories during this period. Modiri rose to fame in 1993 with his role in the comedic series Nowruz 72. Subsequently, he acted and directed in several comedic series broadcast on the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB).

During an episode of Dorehami, Modiri mentioned that he participated in Operation Fath 8 during the Iran-Iraq War.

Career

Early Comedic Programs and Nowruz Specials (1993–2001) Proflight 57

Proflight 57 was a comedic television series broadcast during the Fajr Decade in 1993 on IRIB Channel 1. It marked Modiri’s directorial debut in a comedic television series. The series is considered the second milestone in post-revolution comedic television series in Iran. Actors such as Nasrollah Radesh gained prominence through their roles in this series.

Happy Hour

Following Proflight 57, Modiri created Happy Hour, a weekly comedic series aired on IRIB Channel 2 in 1994 and 1995. The series featured short comedic sketches and stood out for its fresh approach to humor, distinct from the repetitive style prevalent on IRIB at the time. Modiri’s unique comedic perspective led to tensions with conservative newspapers like Kayhan. The series introduced new talent and marked a significant shift in Iranian comedic television. However, the sudden rise of its young actors to stardom was not well-received by IRIB management, and Happy Hour was abruptly canceled despite its popularity, a decision that surprised even the cast.

Narrative Comedies and Collaboration with the Ghasemkhani Brothers (2002–2008) After Comedy 80 (2001), Modiri shifted from sketch-based comedies to narrative-driven nightly comedic series. During this period, he produced one series annually, each gaining widespread popularity during broadcast. These included Pavarchin (2002), Noghteh-Chin (2003), Grand Prize (2004), Barareh Nights (2005), Mozafar’s Garden (2006), Thousand-Face Man (2007), and Two-Thousand-Face Man (2008). Most of these projects were written under the supervision of Peyman Ghasemkhani.

Temporary Departure from Television and Entry into Home Video Network (2009–2013) After Two-Thousand-Face Man in 2008, Modiri planned to produce a new series, Bitter Coffee, for IRIB, but it was not approved for unspecified reasons, including financial issues, content, and storyline. In September 2010, the series was released on the home video network, becoming the most successful series in that medium and earning the title of the best-selling home video series. The story follows Nima Zend Karimi, a history professor facing financial struggles who decides to abandon history and donate his books to a library. After meeting a woman interested in history, he visits a palace, drinks a cup of coffee, and is transported to the past.

Laughter Bomb In January 2011, a video of Modiri parodying satellite television programs was released online and on DVD, quickly becoming one of the most viewed links on Persian-language websites and social media. Its connection to Modiri’s broader work was initially unclear.

My Villa In 2012, Modiri began producing My Villa for the home video network, with a cast and crew similar to Bitter Coffee. Filming, funded by the Golrang Media Institute, began on 11 November in the Azgol district. The story revolves around a wealthy, ailing, unmarried man with no children. His honest lawyer publishes a newspaper ad to locate anyone who knows him for inheritance purposes. Like Bitter Coffee, My Villa was distributed through the home video network, with prizes, including three villas in northern Iran, awarded to some buyers of the original copies. The series did not achieve the same success as Bitter Coffee.

Ban from Broadcasting In 2013, promotional materials for the animated film Tehran 1500, in which Modiri played the lead role, omitted any mention of him. The producer stated that IRIB’s commercial department had banned displaying Modiri’s image, voice, or name.

I Was Kidding…! In January 2014, Modiri began production on I Was Kidding…!, a series that returned to sketch-based comedy, with each episode addressing a specific social issue. Featuring 67 comedic actors, the series marked Modiri’s return to hosting, 12 years after Comedy 80. In a 2008 interview on Glass Triangle with Reza Rashidpour, Modiri expressed his desire to create a project combining comedy with social commentary, a vision realized in I Was Kidding…!.

Return to Television and Film Directing (2014–Present) In the final moments of 2013, Modiri appeared on IRIB Channel 3’s Three Stars program, where he was nominated for Best Actor for his roles in Barareh Nights and Thousand-Face Man. After a six-year absence from television, he won two awards and announced his return to television in 2014 for three reasons:

“I am a child of television, where I created my most important works. You can never fully leave television.” “The home video network, with its 3 million audience, cannot compare to television’s 70 million viewers, which has bothered me over the years.” “I feel people desperately need joy, laughter, and happy moments, and this is the only thing I can do. I think it’s time to return and fulfill this duty.”

In the Margin Production of the television series In the Margin (originally titled Operating Room), directed and acted by Modiri with set and costume design by him, began in October 2014. The series faced controversies, including opposition from medical advocacy groups, leading to a temporary halt in filming. After script revisions, it premiered on 26 March 2015. It was Modiri’s fourth series in the 2010s and his first after returning to television.

Sneeze In 2015, Modiri announced Sneeze, a 10-episode comedic series addressing social issues through sketches, released biweekly on the home video network starting in July 2015.

Dorehami

Dorehami premiered during Nowruz 2016 and quickly gained a large audience, with some experts predicting it would surpass Ramin Javan’s Khandevane in popularity. On 8 December 2016, Modiri’s use of terms like “impulsive” and “oppressed” regarding men granting divorce rights to their spouses on Dorehami sparked widespread criticism in media and social networks. A previous guest, Majid Samii, also generated varied reactions online and in the media.

In multiple IRIB polls, the second and third seasons of Dorehami outperformed programs like Ninety and Khandevane, with Modiri ranking as the top host above Adel Ferdosipour and Ramin Javan, and Dorehami earning the highest audience satisfaction.

Music career In 2000, Modiri released the album From Simplicity with music by Babak Bayat and Fardin Khalatbari, followed by several live performances. He sang theme songs for the film Hamnafas and the series Barareh Nights, Mozafar’s Garden, Bitter Coffee, and Saffron. He also performed a track on the band Darkoob’s 2010 album.

On 22 and 23 August 2018, Modiri held concerts at Milad Tower, sponsored by the Avadio music app from First Market. He announced that the proceeds from both nights would be donated to a charity for purchasing baby formula, a statement met with enthusiastic applause. Unlike his appearance at the Hafez Awards, where he had makeup for the film Rahman 1400 (directed by Manouchehr Hadi), Modiri appeared without it at the concerts. He performed songs like “Tonight Is a Moonlit Night,” “Let’s Go to the Mountain,” “Eyelash Arrow,” and “Rain,” and spoke briefly with the audience between performances. He also sang the iconic “Souvenir,” noting he had obtained permission from lyricist Ardalan Sarfaraz, which was warmly received with audience sing-alongs.

Monster Monster, Modiri’s latest home video network series as a director, consisted of 19 episodes addressing social issues. Written under Peyman Ghasemkhani’s supervision, it was released weekly on Mondays starting 29 April 2019. In 2020, production began on a second season titled Dracula, with filming starting in February 2021 and premiering on 24 March 2021.

Controversies

IRIB Warning Reza Pourhossein, deputy to the IRIB vice president, responded to criticisms of Dorehami, particularly regarding the host’s behavior, stating: “I acknowledge that some questions raised in the program are not aligned with Iranian-Islamic culture, and the host’s punitive behavior has disregarded the dignity of guests. We have reviewed the issues and issued a serious warning to the program’s team to exercise greater care regarding ethical matters and the Iranian-Islamic lifestyle.”

Departure from Series Production In July 2016, during an appearance on Seven, Modiri said: “I’m exhausted. I haven’t been feeling well for a long time. I need a transformation. I’m leaving television and home video to focus on cinema, making one or two films annually. I’m tired and saturated with this type of work, and it no longer satisfies me.”

5 PM Press Conference On 26 August 2016, a press conference for the film 5 PM was held at Homa Hotel, where Modiri answered questions about the film. His act of smoking during the event drew widespread reactions. The secretary-general of Iran’s Anti-Tobacco Association stated:

2022 Protests Modiri initially expressed support for the Mahsa Amini protests in a video, siding with the protesters. However, he soon retracted his statements in a televised apology.

Following this, IRIB filed a complaint against him. The move also drew strong criticism from the newspaper Kayhan and actress Pardis Ahmadiyeh, who, on 22 October 2022, posted critical remarks about Modiri on Instagram. Ahmadiyeh later apologized to him on her page.

2025–2026 Protests Modiri boycotted the Fajr International Film Festival in protest of the government's crackdown of the 2025–2026 Iranian protests.

Personal life Mehran Modiri is the last child of a family originally from the city of Arak. He has three older brothers.

Modiri was born and raised in a low-income family in the south of Tehran, Iran. He worked in many physical and low-paying jobs as a child and teenager, including carpenter, porter, welder, mechanic, and baker.

Filmography Film

Web

Television

Theater

Year Name of Play Director 1974 Khargoosh Hamid Alami 1977 Shookhi Sadra Rasouli 1979 Telegraph Mehdi Sharifi 1983 Palang-e Nadan Behrooz Salimi 1985 Yek Tanz va Yek Gham-ava Behrooz Salimi 1988 Arsenal Mohsen Haji Youssefi 1989 Pansion Mohsen Haji Youssefi 1990 Simorgh Ghotboddin Sadeqi 1991 Hamlet Ghotboddin Sadeqi 1992 Kisseh Box Ali Moazzeni

Discography

Albums 1999: Deltangi-ha – Declamation of Hatef Alimardani 's Poems. 2000: Az Roo-ye Sadegi – composed by: Babak Bayat and Fardin Khalatbari Singles 2003: Ahang-e Film-e Hamnafas – composed by: Fardin Khalatbari 2004: Ahang-e film-e Shabhaye barareh 2005: Ahang-e film-e Baghe mozaffar 2010: Ahang-e serial-e Ghahveye Talkh – two tracks, produced by Bahram Dehghanyar 2010: Bia Berim Kooh – produced by Darkoob Band in Darkoob Album 2010: Heyran – produced by Darkoob Band in Darkoob Album 2016: Ahang-e Titraje Dorehami – composed by Mahyar Alizadeh 2016: Ahang-e serial-e Zaaferani – Two tracks, composed by Mahyar Alizadeh 2017: Ahang-e Yar Toei – composed by Mahyar Alizadeh

Awards and nominations Mehran Modiri with 7 awards holds the record for most Hafez Awards won by an individual until 2018

Year Award Category Nominated work Result 1996 The Best of Best Director Saate Khosh (Joyful Hour) 1998 The Best of Channel 3 Ceremony Best Director Corpus of 77 1998 The Best of Channel 3 Ceremony Best Actor Corpus of 77 1999 The Best of Channel 3 Ceremony Best Director Excuse me, who are you? 1999 The Best of Channel 3 Ceremony Best Actor Excuse me, who are you? 2003 7th Hafez Awards Best Director Pavarchin 2003 7th Hafez Awards Best Actor Pavarchin 2005 8th Hafez Awards Best Actor Noghtechin 2005 The Best of Channel 3 Ceremony Best Comedy Director – 2006 9th Hafez Awards Best Actor jointly with Siamak Ansari Shabhaye Barareh 2006 9th Hafez Awards Best ِِDirector Shabhaye Barareh 2007 10th Hafez Awards Best TV series and cinematic song Mozaffar's Garden 2008 26th Fajr International Film Festival Best Supporting Actor There's Always a Woman in Between 2011 12th Hafez Awards Best Actor Bitter Coffee 2011 12th Hafez Awards Best ِDirector Bitter Coffee 2011 American Liberty University Honorary Doctorate Himself 2016 16th Hafez Awards Best ِActor At the Margin 2016 16th Hafez Awards Best TV Presenter Dorehami 2017 17th Hafez Awards Best TV Presenter Dorehami 2017 3Star(TV Audience poll) Best TV Presenter Dorehami 2018 Halaa Khorshid's Audience poll Social Face of The Year – 2018 18th Hafez Awards Best Film(Producer) Saat-e- 5-e- Asr ( 5 O'clock in the afternoon ) 2018 18th Hafez Awards Best Screenwriter Saat-e- 5-e- Asr ( 5 O'clock in the afternoon ) 2018 18th Hafez Awards Best Director Saat-e- 5-e- Asr ( 5 O'clock in the afternoon ) 2018 18th Hafez Awards Best TV Presenter Dorehami 2018 Sin e Sima Festival Best TV Presenter Dorehami 2019 19th Hafez Awards Best Actor Rahman 1400 2020 20th Hafez Awards Best TV presenter Dorehami 2020 20th Hafez Awards Best Actor The Monster 2020 20th Hafez Awards Best Director The Monster 2020 20th Hafez Awards Best TV series The Monster 2021 ifilm TV Channel poll Best TV Comedy Actor 2021 21st Hafez Awards Best TV presenter Dorehami 2022 2nd Producers' Thanks Ceremony The Most Popular actor Rahman 1400 202423rd Hafez AwardsBest Television FigureFlowers or AbsurdBest Actor – Motion Picture Killing a Traitor