Director: Mostafa Kiaei
Cast: Bahram Radan, Mohsen Kiayee, Mahoor Alvand
4 Rahe Istunbul is a 2018 Iranian action-thriller film directed by Mostafa Kiaei, following two financially desperate men whose lives collide with a real urban disaster in Tehran. With a runtime of 99 minutes, it blends crime tension with the chaos of an unexpected catastrophe.
What is 4 Rahe Istunbul about?
Bahman and Ahad are two men buried under mounting debts, running from creditors with no clear way out. Their days are a cycle of schemes that never quite pay off, leaving them more trapped than before. Then the catastrophic collapse of the Plasco building — a landmark fire that shook Tehran in real life — forces a sudden crossroads. The disaster opens a window of opportunity in the confusion, and the two men must decide how far they are willing to go to escape the financial stranglehold that has defined their existence. The film uses the real-world event as a backdrop to test its characters under extreme moral pressure.
Cast & crew
Bahram Radan, one of Iranian cinema's most recognizable leading men, brings his trademark intensity to the film alongside Mohsen Kiayee, known for his strong dramatic presence in Iranian productions. Mahoor Alvand rounds out the principal cast. Director Mostafa Kiaei, who also appears in the credits as Mohsen Kiayee (listed in the cast), brings a gritty, street-level realism to the story.
Context & significance
The Plasco building fire of January 2017 was one of the most traumatic events in modern Tehran — a beloved commercial landmark that collapsed during a blaze, killing firefighters and shaking the city's collective memory. Kiaei uses this real event not as spectacle but as a moral fulcrum, placing ordinary, morally compromised people at the centre of a national tragedy. For Iranian diaspora audiences who remember the Plasco building — a place many visited before leaving Iran — the film carries an added layer of personal resonance. The action-thriller framing keeps the pace urgent while the drama probes questions of survival, desperation, and the boundaries of right and wrong.
Where & how to watch
4 Rahe Istunbul is available on K-Time with original Persian audio. Stream directly on the web, your TV, or your phone — no extra download required, no VPN, and no geo-blocking. Subscribe and cancel anytime.