Lecture on “Playwriting in Iran” Held in India as Part of the First Advanced Course on Contemporary Persian Literature

According to the Public Relations Office of the Saadi Foundation, the session was attended by more than 50 Persian language students from various Indian universities, both in person and online. During the event, Mitra Bayat, an art researcher and playwright, delivered a lecture entitled “Playwriting in Iran.”

In her presentation, Bayat offered an analytical overview of the formation and historical development of playwriting in Iran. Referring to topics discussed in previous sessions, she reviewed the background of this literary genre in Iran and identified the simultaneous emergence of new literary movements with the Constitutional Revolution as one of the key factors in the development and consolidation of modern forms such as playwriting.

Explaining the differences between narrative fiction and drama, as well as the distinction between drama and forms such as operetta, she described contemporary Iranian playwriting as a dynamic and creative literary movement.

Bayat also examined the artistic contributions of prominent Iranian playwrights including Mirza Fath-Ali Akhundzadeh, Mirza Aqa Tabrizi, Kamal Shahrzad, Akbar Radi, Bahram Beyzaie, and Ghotbeddin Sadeghi, analyzing the thematic dimensions of their works.

According to the researcher, major themes in contemporary Iranian playwriting include engagement with Iranian history and culture, dramatic adaptations of classical Persian literary masterpieces, attention to the issues of marginalized social groups, women’s deprivation, and criticism of social underdevelopment.

The first advanced course on “Contemporary Persian Literature” is held weekly on Tuesdays at the Centre for Persian Research and the Saadi Foundation’s representative office in New Delhi, to strengthen the linguistic and literary skills of Indian students. The program features specialized lectures delivered by 14 Iranian professors and one Indian professor.