Lankarani was one of the prominent figures of tazieh who was not able to give any performances over the past decade due to his illness, he said and added, “However, he was a source of inspiration for many performers.”
“He had wide knowledge of tazieh and recitation. He had good information about the necessary musical equipment and accessories of the Iranian passion play. Tazieh aficionados well remember his fine performances and his power over the dramatic art. He used to share all his knowledge with others,” he noted.
Davud Fat’halibeigi, a top expert on traditional Iranian dramatic performances, also called Lankarani one of the most influential figures in tazieh.
He expressed his regret over Lankarani’s death and lamented the lack of any planning in the country for recording Lankarani’s performances during his acting career.
Lankarani was born in 1930 and gave many performances across the country. He had a great role in introducing tazieh to people in other countries.
He also had many good memories of his performances, especially when he used to perform the role of Shimr, the villain who beheaded Imam Hussain (AS) in the Battle of Karbala.
His friends used to tell him to be aware of the reaction of the audience when he plays the role of Shimr. He was so talented in his performance that people actually thought he was the real enemy of their Imam.
Tazieh was registered on the UNESCO List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in November 2010.
Tazieh performances portray religious events, historical and mythical stories, and folk tales. Each performance has the four components of poetry, music, song and motion.
Performers are always male, and female roles are played by men, most of whom are amateurs who earn their livelihood through other means but perform for spiritual rewards.
Source:Tehran Times