She is a star in every sense of the word; from acting opposite Hollywood biggies like Leonardo de Caprio and Russell Crowe in Body of Lies, to being one of the first Iranian movie stars since the 1950s to make it to the international movie arena. Yet, actress Golshifteh Farahani faces a ban against entering her own country. The harsh move came because of a black and white art photo of the 28-year-old actress posing nude, against a black background with her hands strategically positioned over her breasts. This was first printed in French magazine Madame Le Figaro, before it went viral.
According to Golshifteh, the Iranian government notified her that she could no longer step into the country since she had breached the moral code. She was also advised never to try and return home again. The picture, which the actress then posted on her Facebook page, has received both criticisms from Iranians as well as praise from followers around the world, for her daring act.
This is not the first time that an actor or artist’s career has been jeopardised due to upset government authorities. Bangladesh-born writer Taslima Nasrin has been living in exile for nearly two decades now. The writer-cum-activist was widely criticised and banned from her country as her novels, poetry and prose revolved mainly around feminism, and condemned the Muslim religion and its practices to a large extent. Taslima later took refuge in India, but was forced to leave the country in 2008 because of her controversial autobiography. She eventually returned after a short hiatus in Sweden.