Pouri Banai

Her most memorable performances are in Iranian new wave films such as Masoud Kimiai's Qeysar in 1969 and Fereydun Gole's The Mandrake. She also acted in some foreign films such as Missile X: The Neutron Bomb Incident directed by Leslie H. Martinson in which she co-starred with Peter Graves. In another film directed by Fereydun Gole, named The Moon and a Murmur (1977), she co-starred with John Ireland and Mickey Rooney. Jean Negulesco chose her and Behrouz Vosoughi to play the roles of a couple in his last film The Invincible Six (1970). Jun'ya Sato, the Japanese director chose her for the lead actress in his 1973 adaptation of the manga, Golgo 13.

• Name — Pouri Banai • Native Name — پوری بنایی • Birth Name — Seddigheh Banayi • Born — 11 October 1940 • Birthplace — Arak, Imperial State of Iran • Notable Works — * Qeysar • Malkoçoğlu Cem Sultan • Occupation — Actress • Years Active — 1964–2008 • Partner — Behrouz Vosoughi (1971–1972)

She was born Seddigheh Banayi (in Persian: صدیقه بنایی) in Arak, Iran. She lived there for four years. She has six sisters: Mehri, Akram (Aki), Ashie, Eshie, Masoumeh and Nasrin, all of whom live in California, and one brother, Mohammad, living in Tehran. Her first feature film was The Foreign Bride, directed by Nosratollah Vahdat. Pouri didn't have any academic education in acting and because Vahdat was a distant relative, he suggested to her to act in his film. In 1967 she co-starred with Behrouz Vosoughi, who was a famous Iranian actor at the time. They cooperated in many films and in 1970 they appeared together in Qeysar, known as one of the major films and a symbol of Iranian new wave. She also co-starred with other superstars of the time such as: Mohammad Ali Fardin, Naser Malek Motiee, Manouchehr Vosugh, Iraj Ghaderi, Ali Nasirian, and Parviz Sayyad. Most of the Iranian movies were dubbed in those days and famous actors and actresses had specific dubbers. Zhaleh Kazemi was Pouri Banayi's dubber. Some of her films, like The Mandrake and The Falconet, in addition to Qeysar and Ghazal are considered milestones in performances of before revolution Iranian cinema.

Many Iranian actors and actresses left Iran after the 1979 revolution. Although Pouri Banayi was called to the infamous Evin Prison for questioning, she decided to stay in Iran but only appeared as an extra in one feature film after the revolution.

• Year — Title — Persian Title — Role • 1964 — The Foreign Bride — عروس فرنگی Arūse Farangi — Marya • The City Thief — دزد شهر Dozde Shahr — Farideh • 1965 — The Forced Vacation — مرخصی اجباری Morakhasi-ye Ejbāri — The singer • Poor Thing! — زبانبسته Zaban Basteh — Leila • The Blond Woman of Our Town — موطلایی شهر ما Moo-alaye-ye Shahr-e Mā — Golrokh • 1966 — Farewell Tehran — خداحافظ تهران Khodahafez Tehran — Azar • One step to Heaven — یک قدم تا بهشت Yek Ghadam ta Behesht — Shahla • Hatam-e Taee — حاتم طائی Hatam-e Tāee — Sharareh • A Man in the Cage — مردی در قفس Mardi dar Ghafas — Fake Mahin/ Agent • 1967 — Satan's Temptation — وسوسهی شیطان Vasvase-ye Sheitān • A Man from Isfahan — مردی از اصفهان Mardi az Esfahān — Mahtab • The Fate — سرنوشت Sarnevesht — Sima • The Golden Cage — قفس طلایی Ghafas-e Talāyi — Parvin • 1968 — I Also Cried — من هم گریه کردم Man Ham Geryeh Kardam — Mandana • The Whirlpool of Sin — گرداب گناه Gerdābe Gonāh — Pouri • The Wild River — رودخانهی وحشی Rūdxane-ye Vahshi — Pouneh • The Gypsy's Fury — خشم کولی Xashm-e Kowli — Gypsy • The Roads of Criminals — جادهی تبهکاران Jāde-ye Tabahkārān — Giti • The Thief in Black — دزد سیاهپوش Dozde Siāhpūsh — Fereshteh • 1969 — Gheisar — قیصر Gheisar — Azam • Golden Hearts — قلبهای طلایی Ghalbhā-ye Talāyi — The wife • Blue World — دنیای آبی Donyā-ye Ābi — Maryam • The Separation — جدایی Jodāyi — Maryam • Malkoçoğlu Cem Sultan — سرزمین دلاوران Sarzamine Delāvarān — Melek • 1970 — Kooche-mardha — کوچهمردها Kūcheh Mardhā — Aghdas • Sin City — شهر گناه Shahr-e Gonāh — Zohreh • Scandal — رسوایی Rosvāyi — Maryam • Around the World with Empty Pockets — دور دنیا با جیبهای خالی Dore Donyā bā Jibhāye Xali — The girl • The Invincible Six — قهرمانان Ghahremanan — Jahan's wife • The Nameless Knight — فرزند شمشیر Farzande Shamshir — Gulnaz • 1971 — The Men of the Dawn — مردان سحر Mardāne Sahar — Mina • A Beautiful Girl and So Much Trouble — یک خوشگل و هزار مشکل Yek Xoshgel-o Hezar Moshkel — Mahnaz • Molla Mammad Jan — ملا ممد جان Mollā Mammad Jān — Safoura • Retaliation — قصاص Ghesās — La'ya • In the Mall — زیر بازارچه Zire Bāzārcheh — Goli • Lady for One Night — زن یکشبه Zane Yekshabeh — Afsaneh • The Glass Wall — دیوار شیشهای Divāre Shishe-ee — Maryam • For Whom the Hearts Beat — قلبها برای که میتپند؟ Ghalbhā Baraye Keh Mitapad — Nazi • Year — Title — Persian Title — Role • 1971 — The Rowers — قایقرانان Ghāyeghrānān — Reyhaneh • The Rebellion — عاصی Āsi — Setareh • Bride Price — شیربها Shirbahā — Golbanoo • Pretty — خوشگله Xoshgeleh — Zhaleh • The Hell + Me — جهنم + من Jahannam Be Ezafe-ye Man — The girl • The Only Man in the Neighborhood — تنها مرد محله Tanhā Mard-e Mahalleh — Ali's sister • 1972 — Pedar ke na-khalaf oftad — پدر که ناخلف افتد Pedar Ke Naxalaf Oftad — Parvaneh • Inglorious — نانجیب Nānajib — Ashraf • Ali, the Coachman — علی سورچی Ali Sūrchi — Ra'na • A little Prejudice — یک جو غیرت Yek Jow Gheirat — Accountant's daughter • 1973 — God Bless Iranian Women — قربون زن ایرونی Ghorbūne Zane Irūni — Sakineh • Golgo 13 — گلگو 13 Golgo Sizdah — Catherine • The Married Man — عیالوار Ayālvār — Golbahar • Fancy Man — خیالاتی Xiālāti — Fortuneteller • Happy Go Lucky — خوشگذران Xoshgozarān — Parvin • The Stranger — بیگانه Bigāneh — Maryam • 1974 — Golnesa in Paris — گلنسا در پاریس Golnesa dar Pāris — Golnesa • 1975 — The Falconet — زنبورک Zanbūrak • The Mandrake — مهر گیاه Mehre Giāh — Mehri • Ghazal — غزل Ghazal — Ghazal • 1976 — Legacy — میراث Miras — Maryam • The Fire of the South — آتش جنوب Ātash dar Jonūb — Jamileh • The Lady Wants a Motorcycle / Ah bu gençlik — خانم دلش موتور میخواد Xanom Delesh Motor Mixad — Ra'na • Tek Başına — تنهایی Tanhāyi — Emineh • Can Pazari — دختر جوان و مرد انتقامجو Doxtar-e Javan va Marde Enteghamjū — Selma • 1977 — The moon and a murmur — ماه و همهمه Māh-o Hemhemeh • Payback — تلافی Talāfi — Maryam • Back and Dagger — پشت و خنجر Posht-o Xanjar — Effat • The Soldier — سرباز Sarbāz — Mahtab • Tövbekar — توبهکار Towbeh Kār — Ipek • 1978 — Missile X: The Neutron Bomb Incident — موشک سری Mushak-e Serrri — Leila • 1979 — Maryam and Mani — مریم و مانی Maryam-o Māni — Maryam • 2008 — Shirin — شیرین Shirin — Woman in the audience

She was engaged to Behrouz Vosughi, but they didn't get married and Vosughi married Googoosh, famous Iranian singer and actress. One of Banayi's sisters is Aki Banayi (Akram Banayi). She was a singer and lived in Los Angeles, prior to her death in 2025.