Director: Hossein Fathi
Cast: Jahanbakhsh Soltani, Valiyollah Shirandami, Malihe Nikjumand, Nasirn Khodadoost Moghadam
Shabe Dahom (The Tenth Night) is a 2002 Iranian drama series directed by Hossein Fathi, set in Tehran during the final years of Reza Shah's reign. It weaves together a love story and a forbidden religious ritual, following a street tough whose heart is transformed by ten nights of ta'zieh performance.
What is Shabe Dahom about?
Heydar Khoshmaraam is a rough street man from old Tehran — the kind of figure locals both fear and tolerate. He falls for a young woman of Qajar lineage, and she sets him an unlikely condition before she will agree to marry him: he must organise and perform ta'zieh, the traditional Shia passion play, across all ten nights of Muharram. Under Reza Shah's government, ta'zieh has been banned, so Heydar must stage the performances in secret, always one step ahead of the police. His loyal friend Yavar stands by him through the first nine nights. But as the tenth night approaches, a ruthless intelligence officer enters the scene — a man who wants the same Qajar woman for himself and is willing to remove every obstacle in his path, including Heydar.
Cast & crew
Director Hossein Fathi brings a period-drama sensibility rooted in Iranian theatrical tradition. Jahanbakhsh Soltani leads as Heydar, with Valiyollah Shirandami alongside him. Malihe Nikjumand and Nasirin Khodadoost Moghadam round out the central ensemble, grounding the story in the social textures of early twentieth-century Tehran.
Context & significance
Ta'zieh — the communal Shia mourning theatre performed during Muharram — carries deep emotional weight for Iranian audiences everywhere. Shabe Dahom places this living ritual at the centre of a political and romantic drama set during Reza Shah's modernisation campaign, when public religious expression was actively suppressed. For diaspora viewers, the series touches something real: the tension between state authority and deeply-held faith, and the way ordinary people hold onto ritual under pressure. Period productions like this also offer a rare window into the sights and sounds of Tehran before the mid-twentieth century transformations, making them as much cultural documents as dramatic entertainments.
Where & how to watch
Shabe Dahom is available on K-Time with original Persian audio. Watch on the web, your TV, or your phone — no VPN needed, no geo-blocking, and you can cancel anytime. No extra download required to start watching.