Director: Parviz Noori
Cast: Nosratollah Karimi, Irene Zazians, Manoochehr Valizade, Diana, Reza Shafi
Hakim-bashi is a 1972 Iranian comedy-drama film directed by Parviz Noori, set in a rural village where the arrival of a modern-trained physician stirs up old jealousies and comic conflict with the entrenched traditional healer who has long ruled the community's health — and its gossip.
What is Hakim-bashi about?
When a freshly trained physician arrives in a small Iranian village hoping to put his medical education to good use, he finds the welcome far colder than he expected. Mozaffar Khan, the village's long-standing traditional doctor, sees the newcomer not as a colleague but as a direct threat to his income and authority. Together with his loyal assistant, Mozaffar Khan launches a campaign of schemes and mischief designed to discredit the young doctor and drive him away before modern medicine can take hold. What follows is a warm, comedic clash between old customs and new knowledge, with the village community caught in the middle and providing plenty of colorful reactions of their own.
Cast & crew
Nosratollah Karimi anchors the film as the scheming Mozaffar Khan, bringing sharp comic timing to a character who is pompous yet oddly sympathetic. Manoochehr Valizade plays the idealistic young physician opposite him. The supporting cast includes Irene Zazians, Diana, Reza Shafi, Delaram, Mir Mohammad Tajaddod, and Shahla Riahi, lending the village ensemble its lively texture.
Context & significance
Made in 1972, Hakim-bashi belongs to a strand of pre-revolution Iranian popular cinema that used comedy to poke gentle fun at the friction between rural tradition and creeping modernization — a theme that resonated deeply with audiences navigating rapid social change. For diaspora viewers, the film carries a strong nostalgic charge: it captures the look, dialect humor, and community dynamics of a Iran that no longer exists in quite the same form. Watching it today feels like flipping through a vivid family album — familiar faces, recognizable arguments, and a warmth that transcends the simple plot.
Where & how to watch
Hakim-bashi is available on K-Time in its original Persian audio with no geo-blocking and no VPN required. Stream it on the web, your TV, or your phone — one subscription, cancel anytime.