Social Dramas Push Iranian Box Office Past 1.2 Trillion Tomans

Date: 12 October 2025 - 21:50

News ID: ۱۴۴۵۵۵

TEHRAN -- As the sixth Sacred Defense film of the year quietly hit theaters three days ago, it’s hard not to reflect on the modest footprint these films have left on Iran’s bustling cinematic landscape.
Despite the industry grossing an impressive 1.2 trillion tomans in 1404, the total box office share for Sacred Defense cinema barely scratches 26 billion tomans—a stark reminder of the challenging environment for this genre.
“Majnoon,” directed by Mehdi Shahmahdi, opened on October 8 and carries a heavy artistic legacy: two Crystal Simorgh awards for Best Supporting Actor and Actress, a prize for Majid Entezami’s evocative score, and the title of Best Film at the 42nd Fajr Festival.
After a two-year wait, its theatrical release has so far moved just over 13,000 tickets, accumulating roughly 1.24 billion tomans in revenue. For a film so decorated, the numbers prompt reflection on audience reach and engagement with themes rooted in the Sacred Defense.
This year also saw releases like “Sayad,” “Esfand,” “Pishmarg,” “Otagh-e Goli,” and “Cinema Metropol (Metropole Cinema).” The latter, with its distinct romantic angle woven into the war backdrop, diverges from the typical narrative fabric of Sacred Defense cinema. Its box office tally under a billion tomans underscores the challenge of attracting wide audiences to these nuanced stories.
“Pishmarg” stands as an outlier with 15 billion tomans in sales—suggesting that where storytelling resonates, commercial success follows. Yet, amid whispers and skepticism over reported box office figures for some films—both comedic and dramatic—the need for transparency in ticket sales data becomes ever more pressing to truly gauge audience engagement.
Looking at the broader scene, over 15 million moviegoers have flocked to Iranian cinemas this year, driving total box office revenue to the impressive 1.2 trillion toman mark. Social dramas have notably surged in popularity, nudging comedy films from their former dominance.
Leading the charge is “Pirpesar (The Old Bachelor)” by Oktay Baraheni, boasting two million viewers and 180 billion tomans in revenue, with Karim Amini’s “Mard-e Eynaki (The Man with Glasses)” trailing closely behind.
Other notable titles include Saeed Roustaei’s “Zan o Bacheh (Woman and Child),” drawing over a million spectators and nearly 96 billion tomans, and “Najoorha (Misfits)” by Muhammad Hussein Farahbakhsh, which amassed 43 billion tomans from 572,000 viewers. Films like “Qostantiniyeh (Constantinople),” “Dolphin Boy 2,” and “Yooz” reveal the eclectic tastes of Iranian audiences, balancing commercial and artistic offerings.
Meanwhile, smaller films such as “Gavaznha-ye Autobahn (Highway Deer),” “Lak Posht (Turtle),” and “Adam Foroush (Summertime)” remind us of the diverse voices struggling for space in the marketplace, their modest attendance figures and revenue reflecting the uphill battle faced by many filmmakers today.
“Majnoon” and “Cinema Metropol” remain emblematic of this tension between critical acclaim and box office reality—a dynamic familiar to many directors striving to tell stories of war, love, and identity in a complex cultural moment.