Aghazadeh | آقازاده

Aghazadeh: آقازاده (مجموعه نمایش خانگی) : A Groundbreaking Iranian TV Series

"Aghazadeh" is an Iranian television series directed by Behrang Tofighi and produced by Owj Arts and Media Organization. The filming began in 2019, and the series aired weekly from July 2020 to January 2021.

Plot Summary
Set in a social and political genre, "Aghazadeh" tells the story of Nima Bahri (played by Amir Aghaee), a privileged son involved in economic corruption. The narrative unfolds as Hamed Tehrani (played by Sina Mehrad), another privileged son with contrasting values, attempts to expose Nima's wrongdoings. This gripping storyline explores themes of power, corruption, and social justice.

Achievements
According to Filimo's public relations, "Aghazadeh" set a new record for online viewership on the Filimo platform, with over 25,861,865 minutes watched by midnight on September 2, 2020. This surpassed the previous record held by the series "Mannequin," marking "Aghazadeh" as the most-watched series in the history of Iran's home show network.

Controversies
The series sparked controversy, particularly with a three-minute scene where the character Razieh (played by Pardis Pourabedin) offers chocolate as a dowry to Hamed (Sina Mehrad) and recites the temporary marriage sermon herself. This scene, emphasizing the one-hour duration of the marriage and followed by Hamed locking the door, received predominantly negative reactions. Additionally, a moment showing the removal of a chador was edited out, highlighting the series' engagement with sensitive social issues.

On September 3, 2020, the Javan newspaper, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, defended the broadcast of this scene, stating that "Aghazadeh" was the first series to portray a legitimate relationship. However, it critiqued the superficial treatment of the subject and questioned why the depiction of an Islamic ruling in a drama could provoke such negative reactions.

Further controversy arose with the delayed distribution of …