Director: Hossein Darabi
Cast: Farhad Ghaemian, Vahid Rahbani, Amir Noruzi, Mehdi Hosseinina, Nazanin Farahani
Maslahat is a 2023 Iranian drama, history, and thriller film directed by Hossein Darabi, running 119 minutes. Set in the aftermath of a revolution, it examines the collision between military authority and political factions as rival power centers struggle to define the new order.
What is Maslahat about?
In the turbulent period following a revolution, a commanding figure from the military world finds himself at odds with an established political party. The conflict that emerges is not simply one of ideology but of institutional survival — each side calculating its moves with careful pragmatism. As old alliances fracture and new loyalties form under pressure, the characters must weigh personal conviction against the demands of collective expediency. The film traces this friction through a series of confrontations that expose the gap between stated principles and the compromises power always seems to require. Relationships shift, allegiances are tested, and the machinery of a nascent state grinds forward.
Cast & crew
The film stars Farhad Ghaemian and Vahid Rahbani in central roles, supported by Amir Noruzi, Mehdi Hosseinina, Nazanin Farahani, Majid Norouzi, and Majid Jafari. Director Hossein Darabi, who also wrote the screenplay, worked with producer Mohammad Reza Shafah to bring this story of institutional conflict to the screen.
Context & significance
For Iranian diaspora viewers, Maslahat touches on a recurring preoccupation in Persian political cinema: the gap between revolutionary ideals and the pragmatic bargains that follow. The word مصلحت itself — meaning something close to expediency or considered interest — carries deep resonance in Persian political and religious discourse, where it has long been used to justify departures from stated principle. The film belongs to a strand of Iranian dramatic cinema that examines institutional power from the inside, observing the bureaucratic and military architecture of the state rather than focusing solely on individual human stories. This genre-blending approach, combining historical drama with thriller pacing, reflects the complexity that Persian-language cinema brings to political subjects.
Where & how to watch
Maslahat is available on K-Time in its original Persian audio. Watch it on the web, on your TV, or on your phone — no VPN needed, no geo-blocking, and you can cancel anytime.