"Sir Aalie" is not just a comedy

Helia Nasiri - Hamshahri Online: Her presence in comedy series is so significant that viewers recognize her as a comedic actress; an actress who is currently appearing in

the comedy series "Sir Aalie". Rostami was born in the 1950s and started her career in the 1980s, working with acceptable television directors. She has also had a prolific career in cinema and has been involved in theater productions. Amirhossein Rostami talks about his presence in "Sir Aalie" and says that anyone can bring their "Georgian" colleagues to their workplace; those who are busy sabotaging because it benefits them if things are not organized and on track. Surely, during the production of the series "Georgians," there were people who prevented this work from being made.

Rostami also talked about her role and said, "Amir Ali did not attract me to be part of this series; it was Adel Tabrizi who made me appear in this series. I was fond of working with Adel, not playing the role of Amir Ali." These are the statements made by Amirhossein Rostami in our interview; an actor who has a notable comedy repertoire and also hosted his audience with the comedy-political series "Sir Aalie" on Television Plus during the month of Ramadan. We sat down for an interview with this actor with the final episodes of this work, which you will read below.

Mr. Rostami! The number of comedy works in which you have acted is more than your presence in productions of other genres. Has this been the result of your choice?

Basically, what matters most to me in the offered roles is the screenplay, director, and the role itself, and the genre comes next. So, this choice was not mine, but other factors were involved in this happening. In recent years, my presence on television has been limited to different seasons of "Doodkesh" and "Licenses," and this happened because the stories did not convince me to participate in other comedy projects.

These multiple performances have led viewers to recognize you as a comedic actor...

Yes, the audience remembers an actor based on what they associate with them, and since this association has happened for me with comedy series, this mindset exists. Even viewers ask me why I'm not present in the comedy series being made, which shows that they want to see comedy work from me. It's worth mentioning that comedy is a popular genre among television viewers, and perhaps they remember actors more for their roles in these works.

So, can we say that directors approach you for comedy projects?

Over the years, my presence in successful comedy and serious works in theater and film has allowed me to move past the stage where directors only think of me in one genre.

We are currently witnessing your performance in the series "Sir Aalie." What qualities did Amir Ali have that made you accept the role?

The truth is, it wasn't Amir Ali who attracted me to be part of this series; it was Adel Tabrizi who convinced me to join. I was fond of working with Adel, not playing the role of Amir Ali, because I am familiar with his taste, enthusiasm, and dedication to his work.

I've heard that the selection of the main cast was a collaborative effort between you and Adel Tabrizi...

Yes, but if I were to describe the story of my involvement in this project from the beginning, I would say that Adel contacted me one day and said he had received a script proposal and sent it to me to read. When I read it, I told Adel that the story didn't tempt me. It should be noted that the proposed story was based on an idea from the British series "Yes, Prime Minister" written by Roya Keshvarznejad. After a while, Adel decided to rewrite the entire series with his own comedic touch. From the beginning, he told me that if I played in "Sir Aalie," he would make it happen, and he was determined about this decision. When he sent me the first four episodes of the work, I realized that he had taken the story in a direction that suited both my taste and his. He would write scenes by night and send them to me until I told him that the story had potential and was excellent, and I accepted the offer to act in this project because I trusted the director and the screenplay output by Adel Tabrizi and Roya Keshvarznejad.

And I must say that Omid Rad, who was the production planner, along with Adel and me, selected the main cast based on collaboration. We divided the roles, prioritized them in our minds, wrote them down on paper, and compared them. Although our minds were very close, there was one person who didn't come to my mind or Omid's, and Adel suggested him, and that was Manuchehr Azari. After years, I saw him up close, and I have to say that he truly injected energy into the story. Also, Bijan Banafshehkhah was our choice and priority.

From the sixth episode of this series, we encounter a different Amir Ali in terms of appearance and behavior. Can we say that we are dealing with two Amir Alis in the series?

Initially, we see an Amir Ali who is looking for work, then we have another Amir Ali who is a motorcycle courier, and after that, we see him as the head of the Ministry of Coordination. We thought a lot about the changes happening to this character and put ourselves in his shoes to see if Amir Ali, as the head of the ministry, can do things similar to when he was a courier or not. Because Amir Ali, as the head of the ministry, is under public scrutiny and is seen as a role model, there are many things he cannot do. So, we proceeded with our planning, wrote down sensory cues on paper, and followed them.

What was the common of Amir Ali in all three roles he played?

Honesty.

Although Amir Ali may exist in society to some extent, it may not be a large number, and we may not have seen them in recent years. What is your opinion?

• I don't see the situation as bleak. Iran has a population of 85 million people, and even with your statement that the number of such individuals is not even as many as the fingers on both hands, I disagree and don't accept it. However, I must say that these individuals are a minority, and their influence is not significant enough to be visible. Of course, if we put in a little effort and search, we will come across many "Amir Alis" in our universities. If we enter Shahid Beheshti University and come out of Tehran and Sharif universities, we can find a large number of "Amir Alis."

It is also possible to say that the number of professors who provide such opportunities to their elite students has been limited. If Amir Ali, with his academic achievements as a motorcycle courier, managed to excel in his studies and thesis, it was because his mentor remembered how much his student struggled, and such cases are less common.

But Iran is a country that nurtures elites, and it is impossible for most world-renowned brands, from automotive to aerospace, from applications to the virtual space, not to have at least one Iranian among the top 10 individuals in their structure. It seems that outside of Iran, it is easier for an individual to showcase their abilities, and they respect the human mind more than their appearance.

The Georgian family portrayed in the series "Sed Rahe Amir Ali" is prevalent in society; those who can discourage any minister and prevent them from doing anything. How far can a minister be determined and move forward in their decisions?

As long as Amir Ali is doing his job, we have to see if he can eventually overcome the influence of the Georgian family or not. Anyone can find similar situations to the Georgians in their work environment, those who engage in sabotage because it benefits them when things are not organized and on track. As we saw in Sir Aalie, they imprisoned the ministry's elite in the basement, even though he could have had an imaginary function for the ministry. It should be noted that this series portrays the eternal conflict between good and evil.

• Hamshahrionline