Director: Mostafa Shayesteh
Cast: Hamed Ahangi, Gohar Kheyrandish, Mohammadreza Alimardani, Hediyeh Bazvand, Elham Farashah
Kharchang is a 2023 Iranian comedy film directed by Mostafa Shayesteh, running 92 minutes and featuring a ensemble cast led by Hamed Ahangi and Gohar Kheyrandish. The film takes a sharp, satirical look at one man's scheme to dodge hard work and shortcut his way to wealth through marriage.
What is Kharchang about?
Saeed is a young man with grand dreams but a stubborn allergy to effort. Rather than building a life through work, he sets his sights on a different kind of investment: finding a wealthy older woman to marry, believing that love and money can arrive in the same package. His pursuit sends him down a series of increasingly absurd social situations, awkward encounters, and comic misadventures as the people around him — family, friends, and potential targets alike — slowly see through his scheme. The film keeps its tone light and farcical, leaning into the gap between Saeed's inflated self-image and the reality his world refuses to cooperate with.
Cast & crew
Director Mostafa Shayesteh guides a cast rich with familiar Iranian screen talent. Hamed Ahangi brings physical comedy and charm to the lead role of Saeed, while veteran actress Gohar Kheyrandish adds depth and timing to the ensemble. Mohammadreza Alimardani, Hediyeh Bazvand, Elham Farashah, Alireza Ostadi, Reza Naji, and Kamand Amirsoleimani round out the cast, each contributing to the film's layered comedic texture.
Context & significance
Iranian comedies in this tradition draw on a long theatrical and cinematic heritage of the lovable schemer — a character type rooted in classic Persian folk comedy and modernized through decades of post-revolution cinema. Kharchang fits squarely in that lineage: the lazy protagonist with outsized ambitions is a recognizable archetype that resonates with diaspora audiences precisely because it mirrors familiar social tensions around class, marriage expectations, and the meaning of success. For Persian-speaking viewers abroad, the film offers both laughter and a mirror — the jokes land because the cultural shorthand is shared. It is the kind of film you watch with family and find yourself quoting the next day.
Where & how to watch
Kharchang is available on K-Time with original Persian audio. Stream it on the web, your TV, or your phone — no VPN needed, no geo-blocking, and no extra downloads required. Start watching today and cancel anytime.