Step Back for Modiri: Review of the 'Father’s Coffee' TV Series

The "Father’s Coffee" (Ghahveye Pedari) TV series, directed by Mehran Modiri, has concluded, but has this TV series been as popular and successful as Modiri’s previous shows, or is it a step back for him? In this review, we aim to compare Father’s Coffee TV series with other series by Mehran Modiri and answer the above question.

"Father’s Coffee"

The "Father’s Coffee" (Ghahveye Pedari) TV series, which was initially supposed to be titled "Pader Ghahve" like Modiri's other works, is a comedy series with social and protest-oriented themes. We know Mehran Modiri from stronger works like "Ghahveye Talkh", "Mard Hezar Chehreh", and "Hayoola", and the memories we have with Modiri's earlier series are quite numerous. This style of comedy is unique to Mehran Modiri, where he presents characters in an exaggerated way. Exaggeration here means, for instance, depicting simple people as extremely simple and foolish.

Story and Character Development of the "Father’s Coffee" TV Series

The story of "Father’s Coffee" (Ghahveye Pedari) TV series revolves around a family that wants to change their dire situation by starting a coffee business. The father of the family (Sam Derakhshani), a bankrupt bookshop owner, and the mother (Zhaleh Samti), an assistant manager at a bank, decide to borrow 4 billion Tomans to enter the coffee trade. However, fluctuations in prices and unforeseen challenges create multiple problems for their plans. They eventually decide to rob the bank where the mother works.

In terms of the similarity of the main character, "Father’s Coffee" (Ghahveye Pedari) TV series bears some resemblance to "Hayoola" TV Series. In "Father’s Coffee", the Jahan character is a cultural person who has been working in the book-selling industry for years, earning a living in an honest way. In "Hayoola" TV Series, Hooshang Sharafat (Farhad Aslani) is a virtuous teacher who, under economic pressure, falls into corruption. But this is where the similarity ends.

The storyline of "Father’s Coffee" (Ghahveye Pedari) TV series is several steps below "Hayoola", as the story takes much longer to develop, and viewers need to wait until episode 6 for the plot to really take shape, which leads to viewers losing patience. In contrast, in "Hayoola", this happens from the very first episode, and the engaging storyline and character development draw the audience in. Jahan's life in "Father’s Coffee" TV series feels less relatable than Hooshang Sharafat’s in "Hayoola" TV Series, and the character development of Jahan is much less profound than that of Hooshang Sharafat.

Review of the Comedy Style in "Father’s Coffee"

In addition to its slow pace, the characters of "Father’s Coffee" (Ghahveye Pedari) TV series are also rather bland, meaning the audience must wait before laughing, which is a disaster for a comedy series. As always, the series protests against inflation and the current conditions in Iran. However, it seems that Modiri’s comedy style has become stale. One of the reasons for the weakness of this new series by Modiri is the lack of collaboration with Peyman Ghasemkhani, which was a key factor in Modiri's previous works. For example, in his last series, "Dracula", Ghasemkhani was the main scriptwriter.

For instance, repetitive and shallow jokes like unnecessary sexual humor or overused comedic situations have made the comedy of "Father’s Coffee" feel shallow and tiresome. The repeated sexual joke about Mr. Fazzeli’s tattoo and Niloufar is a good example. While there’s nothing wrong with sexual humor, when a joke is repeated, it not only loses its appeal but becomes tiresome.

The comedy in "Hayoola" TV Series was built on social issues. Rather than superficial or sexual humor, it pointed to real-life problems in society, such as economic corruption, bribery, and cronyism. This gave the TV series more depth and made it more than just a simple comedy. However, the comedic style of "Father’s Coffee" is more akin to Modiri’s older shows like "Pavarchin" and "Shabhaye Barareh". The jokes here are more situational and sometimes cliché, lacking the social critique and sharpness that his previous works had.

Positive Aspects of the "Father’s Coffee"

Despite this, there was one strength in "Father’s Coffee" (Ghahveye Pedari) TV series that kept the series alive: the delightful humor of Hamed Vakili (as Mr. Fazzeli), Hamed Ahangi (as Iraj Bazrpash), Javad Razavian (as Najmaddin Mikhcharchi), and finally, the commendable performance of Melisa Zakhari (as Melisa Fazzeli).

Hamed Vakili and Hamed Ahangi brought fresh energy to the TV series with their engaging comedy. One of the main reasons I kept watching the series was their performances. On the other hand, the amusing character of Mikhcharchi, played by Javad Razavian, added some spice to the TV series. Melisa Zakhari’s unique voice and her quirky, fantasy-like comedy style made "Father’s Coffee" feel more whimsical and enjoyable.

However, the performances of other actors, like Zhaleh Samti, Sam Derakhshani, and most notably Mehran Modiri himself, seemed lackluster and lacked the usual flair he is known for.

Conclusion

Ultimately, the humor and comedy in "Father’s Coffee" (Ghahveye Pedari) TV series didn’t leave a lasting impact. The shallow, somewhat sexual, and repetitive jokes left viewers disappointed. "Father’s Coffee" (Ghahveye Pedari) TV series can undoubtedly be considered one of Modiri’s weakest works. Unfortunately, with this trend, Mehran Modiri seems to be taking a step back. As a fan of Modiri’s TV series, I, along with the audience, had much higher expectations, and I hope something new and refreshing happens for Modiri’s future works.

Shayan Iroomloo Tabrizi