TEHRAN – Kamal Tabrizi’s controversial docudrama “Ancient Land” that was pulled off the air in early 2104 after protests from Bakhtiaris will return with some modifications and a different title.

The first episode of the series, which was renamed “Motherland”, will be broadcasted from Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting’s Channel 1 on October 6, the IRIB announced on Tuesday by the release of a trailer for the 60-episode serial.

The series recounts the historical events that occurred in Iran in the aftermath of the Allied occupation of the country during World War II.

IRIB’s Channel 3 began broadcasting the series in January 2014. However, the IRIB stopped broadcasting the docudrama in early February following protests from large groups of Bakhtiari people in several cities in southwestern Iran. They claimed the series insulted Bakhtiaris by linking a Bakhtiari family to the Iranian monarchy and calling them British occupiers’ agents.

“The scenes, which caused the misunderstandings, have been modified,” Tabrizi told the Persian service of Honaronline on Wednesday.

“The series will be broadcast completely without any cuts,” he added.
 
Tabrizi previously said, “Making a judgment about the good and bad characters of the series requires patience and time.”
 
He and a number of his colleagues also wrote a letter to the then IRIB managing director Ezzatollah Zarghami, briefing him on the story of the TV series.
 
“Undoubtedly, the producers of the serial meant no disrespect to the honorable Bakhtiari people… However, we offer our apologies if any of the early parts of the serial caused distress to our Bakhtiari compatriots,” they wrote.

Photo: Kamal Tabrizi (C) directs a scene from the TV series “Motherland”.
 
MMS/YAW