Director: Naser Malek Motiee
Cast: Naser Malek Motiee, Taghi Zohuri, Hamide Kheyrabadi
Ye Parche Agha is a 1965 Iranian adventure film directed by and starring Naser Malek Motiee, one of the most beloved comedic actors of pre-revolution Persian cinema. The story follows a working-class taxi driver whose ordinary day takes an extraordinary turn when he stumbles upon a winning lottery ticket left behind by a passenger.
What is Ye Parche Agha about?
An everyday Tehran cab driver is wrapping up another long shift when he discovers a lottery ticket tucked away inside his vehicle. The ticket turns out to be worth 100,000 rials — a life-changing windfall for a man of modest means. What follows is a comic chain of events as our driver must figure out what to do with his sudden good fortune: claim it, return it, or try to keep it. The film moves at a lively pace through Tehran streets and social circles, drawing humor from the gap between working-class life and sudden wealth, while keeping the audience guessing about the hero's ultimate choice.
Cast & crew
Naser Malek Motiee pulls double duty here as both director and lead — a mark of his stature in Persian popular cinema of the 1960s. Veteran character actor Taghi Zohuri provides strong comic support, while Hamide Kheyrabadi brings warmth and depth to the female lead. All three were fixtures of the golden era of Iranian commercial film.
Context & significance
Films from Iran's pre-revolution cinema of the 1960s hold a special place for diaspora audiences — they capture a Tehran and a social world that no longer exists in the same form. Ye Parche Agha belongs to the popular komediye (comedy) tradition that thrived in this era, blending slapstick with gentle social observation. For viewers who grew up watching these classics on VHS or late-night satellite broadcasts, revisiting them online carries genuine emotional weight. For younger diaspora audiences, they offer a rare window into everyday Iranian life before 1979 — the bazaars, the cabs, the street corners, the humor.
Where & how to watch
Ye Parche Agha is available on K-Time with original Persian audio. No VPN is required and there is no geo-blocking — watch on your browser, TV, or phone wherever you are. Start or cancel your subscription anytime.