Mohamad Ali Fardin | محمدعلی فردين

Mohammad Ali Fardin was a prominent Iranian actor, film director, and freestyle wrestler. Born on February 4, 1931, and raised in a poor area in southern Tehran, he was the eldest of three children. Fardin joined the Air Force after high school and became a freestyle wrestler in his twenties, achieving notable success, including a silver medal at the 1954 World Wrestling Championships.

In addition to his wrestling career, Mohammad Ali Fardin became a popular lead actor in Iranian cinema, earning the title "King of Hearts" after his role in the film "Soltane Ghalbha" (King of Hearts). He gained fame in the 1960s and was considered a heroic figure for many Iranians, providing an alternative to non-Iranian movie stars. Fardin was often cast as the tough guy with a heart of gold, portrayed in stereotypical roles where he triumphed and won the girl in the end.

His notable films include "Behesht Door Nist," "Ghazal," and "Ganje Qarun." Following the 1979 Iranian Revolution, he starred in only two more films, "Bar Faraz -e- Asemanha" and "Barzakhiha." Fardin also acted in the Indo-Iranian Bollywood film "Subah O Sham" (1972), alongside Waheeda Rehman, Sanjeev Kapoor, Simin Ghaffari, and Azar. The film was directed by Tapi Chanakya, with Fardin's voice dubbed by Satyen Kappu.

Mohammad Ali Fardin passed away due to cardiac arrest on April 6, 2000, at the age of 69. The news of his death received limited coverage on state radio and television, as his acting career had been disapproved of and his films banned by the Islamic establishment post the 1979 revolution. He was laid to rest in the Behesht-e-Zahra cemetery in Tehran, and more than 20,000 mourners attended his funeral.