Director: Saeid Abutaleb
Cast: Ali Oji, Alireza Khamse, Siamak Safri, Manouchehr Hadi, Iman Safa
Shabhaye Mafia Zodiak is a 2022 Iranian reality competition series produced under the Mafia Nights franchise, directed by Saeid Abutaleb, in which well-known Iranian actors and entertainers face off in the classic social-deduction party game of Mafia across multiple rounds of deception, elimination, and strategic bluffing.
What is Shabhaye Mafia Zodiak about?
Two rival factions — the civilians and the Mafia — are assembled from a rotating cast of recognizable Iranian performers. Each session, twelve celebrities split into same-gender groups face the game master, who steers the action with precision, calling day and night phases as players accuse, debate, and vote. The citizens must root out who among them is secretly working for the Mafia before numbers tip against them; the Mafia must stay hidden long enough to reach parity. With every elimination, alliances shift, loyalties fracture, and even the most convincing bluffer can find themselves cornered by the group's collective suspicion. The game unfolds in real time, with no scripted outcomes and no second chances.
Cast & crew
Director Saeid Abutaleb orchestrates the production behind the scenes. The player roster for this Zodiak season includes Ali Oji, Alireza Khamse, Siamak Safri, Manouchehr Hadi, Iman Safa, Mehran Rajabi, Ramin Rasta, and Ali Osivand — a cross-section of Iranian stage, screen, and television talent whose familiarity with performance both helps and complicates their attempts to deceive each other.
Context & significance
The Mafia game has deep roots in Iranian pop culture, and the Mafia Nights franchise turned it into a mainstream television event that reunites diaspora viewers with faces they grew up watching on domestic Iranian TV. For Iranians living abroad, the show carries extra weight: it is one of the few places where beloved performers from different generations appear together in an unscripted setting, speaking naturally, laughing, and arguing in a way that feels close to home. The Zodiak season introduced a fresh set of celebrity contestants, keeping the format energetic and the social dynamics unpredictable. It fits squarely in the family-and-friends viewing tradition — easy to watch with relatives across generations, no specialized knowledge required.
Where & how to watch
Shabhaye Mafia Zodiak 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 download required. Start and cancel anytime.