Giti Darogar, the first Iranian actress in Hollywood

Despite this immense cultural footprint, remarkably little has been written about the man behind the brand. As the Darogar enterprise approaches its centenary, there is an unsettling sense that both the founder and his family history are slipping into oblivion, as if an invisible hand were systematically erasing these names from Iran’s collective memory.

An Absent Daughter in Official Histories

One of the most puzzling aspects of Giti Darogar’s story is her near-total absence from official accounts of the Darogar family. In the only known history book documenting the establishment and expansion of the Darogar factory and its later association with the Tuli Press Company, the founder’s life is mentioned only briefly. His children are identified as two sons, Fereydoun and Houshang—with no reference whatsoever to a daughter.

Yet other sources complicate this narrative. In the condolence notice published upon the death of Gholamreza Darogar, the names Gholamali, Hasanali, Houshang, Fereydoun, Parviz, and Giti appear as members of the Darogar family. This document strongly suggests that Giti Darogar was indeed recognized within the family structure, even if later histories chose to omit her.

Further confirmation comes from a report published in Women’s Information magazine following the release of Giti’s most famous film. In that article, she is explicitly introduced as the only daughter of the late Gholamreza Darogar. The discrepancy between these sources highlights a broader pattern in historical documentation: women’s identities, especially those who do not conform to conventional domestic roles, are often marginalized or excluded altogether.