  The observations and comprehensive study of intermediate initial mass stars
at the late stages of evolution, and after the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) in
particular, are of crucial importance to identify the common properties for the
stars of given group and to reveal binaries among them. This work aims to
investigate photometric and spectral peculiarities of a poorly studied post-AGB
candidate and infrared source IRAS 07253-2001. We present the new multicolour
$UBVR_{C}I_{C}YJHK$ photometry obtained with the telescopes of the Caucasian
mountain observatory and analyse it together with the data acquired by the All
Sky Automated Survey for SuperNovae. We report on the detection of multiperiod
brightness variability caused by pulsations. A beating of close periods, the
main one of 73 days and additional ones of 68 and 70 days, leads to amplitude
variations. We have also detected a long-term sine trend in brightness with a
period of nearly 1800 days. We suppose it to be orbital and IRAS 07253-2001 to
be binary. Based on new low-resolution spectroscopic data obtained with the
2.5-m telescope of the Caucasian mountain observatory in 2020 and 2023 in the
$\lambda$3500-7500 wavelength range we have identified spectral lines and
compiled a spectral atlas. We have found the [N II], [Ni II] and [S II]
forbidden emission lines in the spectrum and discuss their origin. The
H$\alpha$ line has a variable double-peaked emission component. We have derived
preliminary estimates of the star's parameters and detected a variation of
radial velocity with a peak-to-peak amplitude of about 30 km s$^{-1}$.
