Mandana Karimi addresses the emotional impact of Iran's unrest.
Actor calls out lack of empathy in political discourse.
Highlights Iranian women leading the revolution.
Mandana Karimi has shared a deeply personal message reflecting on the emotional toll of the ongoing Iran unrest, calling out what she describes as a growing lack of empathy in conversations surrounding the crisis. In a long Instagram post, the Iranian actor and model spoke about grief, exhaustion, and the pain of repeatedly having to justify lived experiences.
Within the first lines of her note, Mandana explained that she has been staying indoors more often, not out of withdrawal but emotional fatigue. “I’m tired of explaining my pain to people who don’t want to understand it,” she wrote, adding that the Iranian revolution has altered everyday life for Iranians everywhere. According to her, conversations, phone calls, and daily routines are now shaped by fear and constant uncertainty.
Mandana Karimi on the lack of empathy around the Iran protests
Recounting a recent interaction, Mandana said she was told that the Iranian regime was not “terrorists” and that protesters were simply being emotional or manipulated. The exchange, she noted, left her feeling dismissed. “Have you lost anyone in Iran? Have you received phone calls at 3 a.m, not knowing if your family is alive?” she asked, underscoring that facts without empathy fail those directly affected.
She also addressed criticism over why she continues to speak from India. Mandana explained that safety allows her to use her voice freely, something many protesters within Iran cannot do. “This country is safe. When police talk to me, they don’t beat me. They don’t shoot me. They don’t disappear me,” she wrote, crediting Iranians inside the country for starting the movement and those abroad for amplifying it.
Women’s role in Iran's unrest and diaspora voices
In her caption, Mandana revealed that the post was triggered after she sought comfort from an Iranian friend, but instead encountered remarks that undermined her pain. She pointed out that much of the backlash she faces is rooted in discomfort with women speaking out. “I am an Iranian woman. You will not break me. You will not silence me,” she wrote, stressing that the revolution began with women.
Meanwhile, a Reuters report dated January 19 quoted an Iranian official claiming at least 5,000 deaths during the protests, while US-based Human Rights Activists in Iran estimated 3,308 confirmed deaths, with more cases under review. Despite the crackdown, Iranian lawyer Abdolfattah Abdollahi was quoted as saying resistance remains strong.
Mandana concluded her note with a message of defiance, stating she would continue speaking out “today, tomorrow, or ever.”
Who is Mandana Karimi?
Mandana Karimi is an Iranian actor and model who has worked in Indian cinema and television. She gained recognition with films such as Bhaag Johnny and Kya Kool Hain Hum 3, and later appeared on reality shows including Bigg Boss 9 and Lock Upp. She was last seen in Netflix’s Thar and has consistently used her platform to speak about women’s rights and human rights in Iran.
