4 minutes of readingPuneUpdated: January 29, 2026 22:21 IST
Mariam Abuhaideri calls herself a Persian Ladki, short for “I am Indian but my blood is Persian.” When this Pune-based storyteller, writer and animal lover visits her relatives in Tehran or Yazd, she feels a strong emotional pull, even though she remains an outsider. She is often portrayed as the Hindi girl (Hindi is the Persian word for Indian).
“Everyone wants to spend time with me because they love Indian films. That’s why they are very curious about Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai. I take advantage of that to be the center of attention,” he says.
In India, the third generation of Hindi-speaking Persians sometimes fit in, and sometimes they don’t. She blends in easily with it. PuneThe markets are full of people, but you are often mistaken for a tourist in Rajasthan. What remains constant, he says, is the lack of awareness among Indians about Iran. The limited public response to rising tensions in the country worries her.
Abuhaideri is attempting to address this gap through a series of discussion and storytelling sessions that trace Iran’s history, culture, and its deep-rooted connections with India.
“I can share the history behind what Iran was like even before the Arab conquest and the numerous dynasties that ruled the country before the Islamic revolution of 1979. We will bring to life the rich history and connection we have with India so that it can be better understood,” he says.
The series begins on February 1 with a reading and reflection on the Shahnameh (Book of Kings), Iran’s celebrated epic poem comprising nearly 60,000 verses.
“Just as we have the Ramayana in India, Iran has the Shahnameh. Composed by Ferdowsi, Valmiki’s Shahnameh and Ramayana are seminal epics of Persian and Indian culture, respectively, sharing Indo-Iranian roots, mythological themes and common heroic narratives. Both are vast verse-based tales that explore good versus evil, loyalty and duty, and often serve as cultural, historical and moral guides for their populations. I have done extensive research and studies on the Shahnameh. I felt that there needs to be an audience for it and that we can reach out to those who have not read it,” says Abuhaideri.
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Subsequent sessions through February will explore topics including “Iran Before Islam: History of the Pre-Islamic World” (February 8), “The Rise of Theocracy: What Happens When Faith Becomes State” (February 15), and “Iran and India: People, Poetry, Music, Parsis, and Modern Migrations” (February 22).
“I hope the sessions will help answer some of the questions I am often asked, such as ‘Why would anyone want a religious cleric to take charge of the country?’ “Many people are not sure about Zoroastrianism and the distinctions and similarities between Parsi and Iranian,” he says.
In a religiously polarized world, Abuhaideri notes, it is often forgotten that Iranian men once traveled to India by ship to trade. Many, like his great-grandfather Mahmoud Zaki, stayed, brought women from their families to India and put down roots.
“They opened tea shops, better known as Iranian chai houses. Iranian tea is black tea and is not mixed with milk,” he says.
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At the sessions, guests will be served Iranian chai – black tea, pronounced choee. Between sips, discussions will trace how immigrants from Iran adapted to Indian culture while enriching the country’s poetry, music and food traditions.
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