Director: Mani Baghbani
Cast: Babak Hamidian, Javad Ezati, Siamak Ansari
Khargiush (Rabbit) is a 2018 Iranian comedy-drama-fantasy film directed by Mani Baghbani, marking his feature directorial debut. Starring Babak Hamidian, Javad Ezati, and Siamak Ansari, the film brings a whimsical, offbeat sensibility to Iranian popular cinema.
What is Khargiush about?
When an ordinary man's life takes an unexpected and surreal turn, he finds himself caught between the mundane rhythms of everyday existence and a world where the logic of reality begins to unravel. The story follows its protagonist through a series of strange encounters and comic misadventures, each one pulling him further from what he once took for granted. As circumstances grow increasingly absurd, the film raises quiet questions about identity, belonging, and what it means to feel out of place in one's own life. The tone shifts between warm humor and melancholy without ever revealing where the journey ultimately leads.
Cast & crew
Mani Baghbani, who wrote the celebrated Iranian comedy Amber Whale before stepping into the director's chair, brings a writer's instinct for character and timing to this debut. Babak Hamidian leads the ensemble, joined by Javad Ezati, a versatile presence in Iranian drama, and the reliably comic Siamak Ansari, whose stage and screen work spans decades of Persian popular entertainment.
Context & significance
Iranian cinema has a long tradition of blending gentle absurdism with social observation, and Khargiush slots into that lineage — part folk fable, part urban comedy of errors. For diaspora audiences who grew up with the rhythmic wit of Persian comedy on satellite and home video, the film offers a familiar warmth with a slightly surreal edge. Baghbani's background in screenwriting for crowd-pleasing comedies gives the film a grounded comedic rhythm even as its premise drifts into fantasy territory. It is the kind of unpretentious Iranian genre piece that rewards viewers looking for something lighter alongside the weightier art-house fare the country is better known for internationally.
Where & how to watch
Khargiush is available to stream on K-Time with original Persian audio. No VPN is needed and there is no geo-blocking — watch on the web, on your TV, or on your phone. Membership can be cancelled anytime.