‘Prophet Joseph’ TV Series Showing in Bangladesh

The Iranian TV series ‘Prophet Joseph’ has been dubbed into Bengali and telecast on SA TV (South Asian Television) of Bangladesh since November 27.

Directed by the late filmmaker Farajollah Salahshoor (1952-2016), the 45-episode series tells the story of Prophet Joseph based on the Qur’an and Islamic traditions, ISNA reported.

Set in the historical context of ancient Egypt, the series chronicles the life of Joseph. As a child, his older brothers (who were jealous of him as he was loved more by their father Prophet Jacob) threw him into a deep well in the desert. But Joseph was saved and taken as a slave by a passing caravan and later sold to a person of high rank in Egypt.

There he becomes a victim to attempts of seduction by his master’s wife who, when her wish is foiled, sends him to prison, where he remains for several years. Following a series of incidents, Joseph rises to become vizier, the second most powerful man in Egypt next to the pharaoh, and finally reunites with his father after a long time.

A big production made on a budget of $2 million, the historical religious series was broadcast in Iran in 2008, and was later dubbed into Hindi, Urdu, Azeri and Arabic and shown in India, Pakistan, Azerbaijan and some Arab countries.

The cast includes 46 actors in the role of the main characters and over 150 actors in minor roles. Mostafa Zamani, Mahmoud Pakniat, Katayoun Riahi, Jafar Dehghan, Abbas Amiri, Rahim Noroozi, Elham Hamidi and Leila Boloukat are among the lead actors.