# Bijan Banafshekhah

Bijan Banafshekhah (Persian: بیژن بنفشه‌خواه; born March 29, 1973) is an Iranian actor. He is best known for his collaborations with Iranian director Soroush Sehhat in Doctors' Building (2011), Pejman (2013), Bachelors (2016–2019), You Only Go Around Once (2023), and Breakfast with Giraffes (2024).

## Early life

Bijan Banafshekhah was born into an artistic family. His father and uncle are prominent and old Iranian actors. He started acting when he was a teenager and since then he has become one of the most popular comedians and actors in Iran.

## Career

"Joker" is a reality show directed by Ehsan Alikhani and Seyed Hamed Mirfatahi, where celebrities compete to make each other laugh without laughing themselves. Bijan Banafshekhah was a participant in the first season, alongside famous actors like Amin Hayai and Sam Derakhshani. Although he performed well, Banafshekhah was the first to be eliminated. He later returned in the final season to compete with previous finalists.

### Pezhman

"Pezhman" is a comedy series directed by Soroush Sehat, revolving around Pezhman Jamshidi, a former football player struggling with life after his sports career. Bijan Banafshekhah portrayed Bahram, the son-in-law of the family, who is portrayed as obedient to his socially active wife, played by Bahareh Rahnama.

### Doctors' Building

In this popular series, also directed by Soroush Sehat, Bijan Banafshekhah played Dr. Hooman Malekzadeh, a plastic surgeon and close friend of the lead character, Dr. Nima Afshar. The show portrays Afshar’s struggles as a psychologist and the challenges he faces in his professional and personal life.

### The Graduates

Banafshekhah also appeared in the series "The Graduates," which depicts the lives of three university graduates, each dealing with their own issues. He played the father-in-law of one of the main characters, portraying a man who has frequent conflicts with his son-in-law.

### Spouses' Club

In the 2018 comedy film "Spouses' Club," directed by Mehdi Sabbaghzadeh, Banafshekhah stars alongside actors such as Shaghayegh Farahani and Mohammad Reza Sharifinia. The film tells the story of three men who flee to Kish Island to escape their wives, hatching a plan to fake their own kidnappings. Banafshekhah plays Ahmad, one of the husbands involved in the scheme.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Director |
| 2021 | Punch Drunk | Sohrabi | Adel Tabrizi |
| 2022 | Bonded Parents | | Hossein Ghena'at |
| 2022 | Bank Robbers | | Javad Ardakani |
| 2023 | Coconut 2 | Mahyar | Davoud Atyabi |
| 2024 | Parvin | | Mohammad Reza Vaziri |
| 2024 | Breakfast with Giraffes | Shahin | Soroush Sehhat |
| 2025 | Antique | | Hadi Naiji |

### Web

| Year | Title | Role | Director | Platform |
| 2020 | Mafia Nights | Himself | Saeed Aboutaleb | Filimo |
| 2021–2022 | Joker | Himself | Ehsan Alikhani | Filimo |
| 2023 | Godfather | Himself | Saeed Aboutaleb | Filmnet |
| 2023 | TNT | Himself | Hamed Ahangi | Filimo |
| 2023 | You Only Go Around Once | Neo | Soroush Sehhat | Filimo, Namava |
| 2023 | Naato | Himself | Mehdi Safiyari | Filmnet |
| 2023 | Party | Himself | Iraj Tahmasb | Filimo, Namava |
| 2023–2024 | The Notebook | Naser | Kiarash Asadizadeh | Filmnet |
| 2023–2024 | Blue Nissan | Reza Sousan | Masoud Atyabi | Filimo |

### Television

* 2023: Noon Khe
* 2020: The Event
* 2018: Orange Spring as Guest
* 2016: Bachelors
* 2014: I'm Just Kidding
* 2012: Pejman
* 2011: Doctors' Building
* 2010: Bitter Coffee
* 2002: Without Description
* 2002: Under the City's Skin