Bitter Coffee

Bitter Coffee
Also known as Ghahveh Talkh
Genre Comedy
Created by Mehran Modiri
Written by Amir Mehdi Jhooleh
Khashayar Alvand
Directed by Mehran Modiri
Starring Mehran Modiri
Siamak Ansari
Mohammad Reza Hedayati
Sahar Zakaria
Saeid Pirdoost
Saed Hedayati
Country of origin Iran
Original language(s) Persian
No. of episodes 102 Released - 111 Planned
Production
Producer(s) Hamid Aghagolian
Majid Aghagolian
Location(s) Tehran, Iran
Editor(s) Javad Aslani
Running time 30–40 minutes
Release
Original release September 2010 - 2012
Chronology
Preceded by Man of Many Many Faces
Followed by Laughing Bomb

Bitter Coffee (Persian: قهوه تلخ) is a historical comedy series directed by Mehran Modiri. Three episodes are released at a time (roughly every week) on three VCD or one DVD, priced in Iran at 25000 rials (currently approximately $2.50). The first set of episodes were released on 23 Shahrivar 1389 (13 September 2010).

History and Controversy

Production of the series began in June 2009. Bitter Coffee was meant to be produced for television, to be broadcast by the IRIB, but due to various disagreements between IRIB and the series' producers, it didn't air. An alleged reason for disagreement between the producers and IRIB was that the producers wanted all of the advertisement profit from the series, but IRIB refused to agree. Another rumoured reason was the planned content of the series, IRIB officials eventually refused to show Bitter Coffee, and the series was eventually distributed in VCD format, at various outlets throughout Iran.[1][2]

Distribution

Inside each pack is a ticket number with which the ticket holder could win one of many prizes (including 6 fully furnished apartments in Tehran, 3 brand new cars, and many cash prizes). This is done to aid sales and to discourage copying (in fact Modiri addresses this very candidly before the beginning of the first episode). There are thousands of shops that distribute the series within Iran, but apparently none that do outside of Iran, where Modiri has a very large fan base amongst expats.

Cast

Name Role Title in Persian Regular/Support Description of Role
Siamak Ansari Royal Counselor Mostashar-Ol-Molk Regular He is a historian who travels back in time to become a royal counselor, or Mostashar-Ol-Molk.
Mohammad-Reza Hedayati King of Iran Jahangir-shahe Davaloo Regular He is an aged King of Iran.
Mehran Modiri Great Bluetooth Bluetooth-e-Kabir Regular He is seemingly a defected Greek prince.
Sahar Zakaria Pretty Princess Lo'bat-Al-Molook Regular She, as the only daughter of Shah, is single, waiting for her prince of dreams to propose.
Saed Hedayati Royal doctor Dava-Ol-Molk Regular Only adept in curing simple diseases such as the common cold, he is more of a parasite in the royal enterprise.
Nader Soleimani Royal Chef Gherghi Regular As the royal chef, he is sometimes involved in conspiracies planned by other top officials.
Falamak Joneidi Royal Chef's Wife Kabootar Regular Not only involved in kitchen issues, she is a news source in the royal enterprise, kind of a wire service of old times.
Elika Abdol-Razzaghi First Lady (Queen) Fakhr-Ot-Taj Regular As the First Lady(Queen), she wants to maintain her authority in the royal enterprise.
Shadi Ahadifar Court doctress Zaeef-Os-Saltaneh Regular As the wife of Royal Doctor, she deals with some women affairs.
Shayan Ahadifar History Writer and prime minister's younger son Gonjeshk Regular He seems to be the only clever man in whole royal enterprise. However, he deliberately distorts facts he documents to be read by later generations, in order to demonstrate a more humane, clever image of Shah and Premier (his father).
Borzoo Arjmand Army General Borzoo Khan-e-Sepah Salar Regular As a relatively naive man, he only pretends to be in love with premier's daughter to succeed him as the premier.
Maryam Bakhshi Prime minister's wife and Shah's sister-in-law Akhtar-Al-Molook Regular It seems that her only duty is to covet her sister (First Lady) and try to convince royal family to accept her son as their son-in-law.
Bijan Banafshekhah Chief of Iran's colonies and premier's elder son Bikhodi-Ol-Molk Deylami Regular He, as stupid and useless as one can be, is in love with Shah's daughter. The so-called colonies he administers (which do not exist at all) include France, Russia, etc.
Javad Ezzati Father of the premier Baba Eti Regular Affected by Schizophrenia, he is a source of laughter in the whole series.
Reza Fieze Norouzi Premier Etemad-Ol-Molk Deylami Regular He is just trying to gather some wealth, maintain his position, and succeed Shah.
Fatemeh Hashemi Royal midwife Hamdam Regular She tries to be faithful to the First Lady, but sometimes betrays her.
Aram Jafari Russian Lady of the Shah Katherine the Boy-Maker Regular Since the Shah has no son to succeed him, he gets married to a gorgeous Russian lady to make a boy. As expected, a tough rivalry occurs between this Russian lady and former First Lady.
Sahar Jafari-Jozani Royal secretary and premier's daughter Naz Khatoon Regular After having her studies finished in France, she returns to Iran to become royal secretary. And she falls in love with Royal Counselor.
Hadi Kazemi Father of the Shah Baba Shah Regular As a painter, his only preoccupation is to rival father of the premier.
Ali Lak-Pooriyan Royal Jester Dambool-Os-Saltaneh Regular He does every common thing that a jester does.
Aref Lorestani Royal Sheriff Balad-Ol-Molk Regular Despite being the sheriff, he engages in various illegal activities.
Hamid Kashani Royal executioner Shokoofeh Regular Despite his name meaning "blossom", he is very cruel.
Reza Nikkhah Royal astrologer and treasurer Nostra Khan Damoos-Ol-Molk Regular His name has something to do with Nostradamus, but he doesn't know how to foresee future as the royal astrologer. Hence, he makes dumb predictions which usually turn to be funny.
Saeid Pirdoost Owner of a Cafe in Bazaar Morshed Regular He is the wise man of the story.
Shaghayegh Rahimi-Rad Malih-Ol-Saltaneh Regular Dambool's wife
Darya Aminiyan Support She is another of the Shah's wives
Amir Farzam Soldier Bahram Support He works for Balad along with Mohsen, in detaining and keeping order in the palace.
Mehdi Nateghi Soldier Mohsen Support He works for Balad along with Bahram, in detaining and keeping order in the palace.
Azadeh Mehdizadeh Support She is another of the Shah's wives
Biuk Mirzaee Thug Support He orchestrates assassination attempts and other crime. He can always be found at the bazaar.
Shima Mo'meni Support She is another of the Shah's wives
Sam Noori Interpreter French-Os-Saltaneh Regular He translates for the foreign guests of the palace, also tries in vain to teach Borzoo French in order for him to win Naz Khatoon's heart.

Storyline

The series begins with history teacher Nima Zande-Karimi (Siamak Ansari) realising that his extensive research on Persian and world history is of little use to financing his day-to-day life. He is about to leave Tehran for good to go back to his hometown when he comes across young university student Roya Atabaki (Sahar Jafari-Jozani) who is researching for her final year dissertation, which is regarding the period 1198–1203, that is said to be a period of turmoil for Iran's ruling elite. Such turmoil that, very few books are available on that period for Roya's research. It is then that Nima receives an anonymous telephone call, which leads him to Niavaran Palace (currently a museum), where he is told to have a coffee and wait. The coffee (which is bitter) is ready and he duly drinks it, his sight becomes hazy, and when he manages to refocus he is in the year 1201 (1822 AD), and the story develops therein.

Introduction Music

As well as being a director and actor Modiri is also a classically trained musician and has performed in sell-out concerts all over Iran. Like his previous two series', he covers a famous Iranian song and invokes a classical twist for the intro. The song "Shabe Mahtab" was chosen for this particular series, as chosen by his son Farhad.

Running Jokes

Parodies

A main feature of Mehran Modiri's series' in that he parodies Iranian society using characters and storylines within the series, which makes the storyline funny on more than one level. Some of the parodies of this series are listed below.

Reception

This was a very much anticipated series, as are all of Mehran Modiri's works, partly because it had been 4 years since his last major series work Baghe Mozaffar, discounting the two short series he did for the new years 1387 and 88, and partly because it had been rumoured to be ready for release the previous winter, and then the new year period for 89, before eventually being released at the end of the summer of 1389, and not on television but as a DVD release. As a result, according to the series' website, half a million copies of the first installment were sold on the first day of release alone.[3] At first Ghahve-ye Talkh was planned to be a 90-episode comedy series.[4] Story of Bitter Coffee, like recent Modiri works, is focused on critiquing aspects Iranian social behaviour.[5]

Episodes

Episodes 01-03

In the first episode the director shows Nima Zandekarim as a history professor who has a difficult life. When no one values, cares, or pays attention to historical subjects, he decides to leave everything and go to his village and live with his parents. However, destiny changed his path and he met a lady, Roya Atabaki, and fell in love. With extravagant incidents, he traveled to the past (about 1780s).

Episodes 04-06

Nima thought he was in a film or TV series, but he was wrong: he was in the house of the Shah of Persia! He made the Shah angry and Shah wanted to kill him but the first treasurer of Persia asked king to forgive him and he was saved.

Episodes 07-09

After Nima's servants and his lucky fortune telling, he had a good place in the government. The Shah made him to Mostashar-Ol-Molk, but after a short time Shah was very sick and tired and decided to go to Russia for few months. After he came back he got a new wife named Catherine (Sogoli) and after this subject some extravagant things happened.

Episodes 28–30

These episodes are about how Mostashar and Bulutus get rid of colonel Topolof (brother of the king's Russian wife). The colonel was heard making plans to become the king by wedding the King's daughter. Episode 30 ends with Bluetooth getting married

References

Persianesque Magazine
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