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The director of “Tasiyan” also pointed out that for years, in the cinema and television of the Islamic Republic, individuals associated with SAVAK (the pre-revolution secret police) have been depicted drinking alcohol, and she could not have portrayed “a SAVAK agent praying.” Pakravan implicitly confirmed that the opponents’ concerns about “Tasiyan” stem from reasons beyond the scenes of dancing and revelry, while she, as the creator, merely intended to depict the two main groups—those for and against the Islamic Revolution—and their perspectives.

The “Tasiyan” crew also responded to protests regarding women’s hijab, stating that it cannot be claimed that 50 years ago, before the revolution, all women wore full hijab, as that would imply even the Pahlavi family would need to be shown fully veiled.

Protests against “Tasiyan” escalated when SAVAK arrested Amir, the lead character, and released him after a brief interrogation. Later, Amir’s membership in SAVAK, motivated by his desire to be with Shirin, further infuriated opponents. In parts of the third episode, protesting students are arrested with minimal violence, and in the interrogation room, Amir, as a SAVAK agent sitting across from Shirin, speaks to her kindly and alleviates her concerns.

The airing of these scenes only fueled a growing backlash from opponents, leading to organized attacks on social media with claims that “Pakravan is whitewashing SAVAK in ‘Tasiyan.’”

March 2, 2025 | 6:29 am