Tootia

Born

1942-03-21

Died

2013-03-12

Birthplace

Tehran, Iran

Biography

Maleeha Bayanian (Persian: ملیحه بیانیان; March 21, 1942 – March 12, 2013), professionally known as Tutia (توتیا), was an Iranian actress who worked in film, theater, and television. Born in Tehran, she became associated with Iran's pre-revolutionary film industry, appearing in several productions during the 1960s and 1970s. She was also known to some audiences as Lili, although she was distinct from another Iranian actress who performed under that name. Bayanian's acting career developed during a period of considerable expansion in Iranian commercial cinema, when popular melodramas, romances, and musical films attracted large domestic audiences. Her film credits included Fateh-e Delha (فاتح دل‌ها), Tavalodet Mobarak (تولدت مبارک), Papoosh (پاپوش), and Ki Dasteh Gol be Ab Dadeh (کی دسته گل به آب داده). Through these productions, she worked within the generation of performers who helped shape Iranian popular cinema before the 1979 revolution. Although her screen appearances have been preserved in filmographies and historical cinema collections, relatively little information about her personal life, education, or early artistic training has been documented publicly. Her career remains primarily represented through surviving film credits and photographs. Bayanian died at her home in Tehran on March 12, 2013, at the age of 70, just nine days before her 71st birthday. She was buried at Behesht-e Zahra Cemetery in Tehran. Her funeral was attended by family members, including her daughter, as well as several figures from the Iranian entertainment industry, among them Hossein Khanibeik, Davoud Monfared, and Yousef Barzin.