India, March 3 -- The death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has triggered sharply divided reactions across the world - but for Mandana Karimi, the response among many Iranians is rooted in decades of lived trauma rather than impulse.

The 37-year-old actor has stood by her description of the Iranian regime as a "cancer cell in the Middle East," arguing that the phrase reflects a long pattern of repression and regional destabilisation. "When you look at the pattern over decades," she says, the government has "not respect[ed] negotiation" and has repeatedly escalated tensions while strengthening its military capabilities. "That is why I use the word cancer - because it spreads instability," adds Mandana

Having lived in India for 15 years, Mandan...