Director: Saeid Soltani
Cast: Daryush Arjmand, Sima Tirandaz, Mehdi Solouki, Narges Mohammadi, Ghorban Najafi
Setayesh is a 2010 Iranian drama series directed by Saeid Soltani, following two young people whose desire to marry meets fierce resistance from family — particularly the groom's father — and whose relationship is tested through a prolonged custody dispute that reshapes every member of the household.
What is Setayesh about?
When two people fall in love and decide to build a life together, the fiercest obstacle standing between them is not distance or circumstance but the unyielding opposition of the groom's father. What begins as a battle for the right to choose one's own partner gradually deepens into something far more complicated: a fight over children, over who has legal authority to raise them, and over what family truly means. Each episode ratchets up the emotional stakes as alliances shift, loyalties are tested, and both sides discover how far they are willing to go. The series refuses easy resolutions, letting the conflict breathe and the characters reveal themselves under pressure.
Cast & crew
Director Saeid Soltani brings a steady, character-driven hand to the material. The ensemble includes Daryush Arjmand, one of Iranian television's most respected dramatic presences, alongside Sima Tirandaz and Mehdi Solouki. Narges Mohammadi, Ghorban Najafi, and Fariba Naderi round out a cast that collectively makes the family dynamics feel lived-in and credible.
Context & significance
Iranian family dramas have long held a central place in Persian-language television, and Setayesh fits squarely within a tradition that treats marriage, parental authority, and child-rearing as genuinely contested social ground rather than sentimental backdrop. For diaspora viewers — many of whom navigated or witnessed similar family negotiations in their own lives — the series carries a particular resonance. The custody dimension gives the story a legal and institutional weight that pushes it beyond domestic melodrama into something closer to social commentary, reflecting tensions that cut across generations and geographies in Iranian families worldwide.
Where & how to watch
Setayesh is available on K-Time in its original Persian audio. Watch on your browser, Android TV, or phone — no VPN needed, no geo-blocking, and no extra download required. Start watching with a K-Time subscription and cancel anytime.