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Melikshah

Melikshah

Movie · 1969 · 10 people

Melikşah is a 1969 Turkish-Iranian co-production, shot in colour and CinemaScope, that combines adventure, drama and historical film. In Persian it is Nasl-e Shojaan. It was made in both Persian and Turkish and runs about 90 minutes. Its hero is a young villager who is wronged by a local strongman.

Ali (Cüneyt Arkın) wins a horse as the prize of a javelin contest he entered at his grandfather's wish, and trouble follows. The men of Governor Emir Tekeş raid the village to take the horse, and the grandfather dies in the struggle. Ali leaves for the city with his mother and joins people who have suffered under Tuğrul (Cihangir Ghaffari), who intends to marry the governor's daughter and take his place. Ali sets out to tell Sultan Melikşah of the injustice and on the way stops a gold-laden caravan. Disguises, mistaken identities and his love for the governor's daughter Zerrin drive the plot, until Melikşah, travelling in plain clothes, crosses Ali's path.

Esmail Kushan directed and co-produced with Türker İnanoğlu, from a script by Remzi Jöntürk and Maziar Baziaran, for Erler Film and Iran's Pars Film. Gülsüm Kamu and Hulusi Kentmen also appear.

DirectorEsmail Koushan
Production companyErler Film

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Cast

Cihangir Gaffari Cihangir Gaffari Actor · 86 years old Tuğrul Cüneyt Arkın Cüneyt Arkın Actor · died at 84 Ali Firuz Actor · 1942 – 2012 Gülsüm Kamu Gülsüm Kamu Actor · 82 years old Hassan Rezaei Hassan Rezaei Actor · 87 years old Hulusi Kentmen Hulusi Kentmen Actor · died at 82 Mansoon Matin Mansoon Matin Actor · born 1923 Mohammad Abdi Mohammad Abdi Actor · born 1923 Niloofar Niloofar Actor · 81 years old Taghi Zohouri Taghi Zohouri Actor · died at 79

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Through different eyes

Yeşilçam Nostalgic A viewer raised on the classics, looking for warm storytelling and strong acting.

For fans of Cüneyt Arkın's historical adventures, Melikşah is a showy example, shot in colour and CinemaScope. The young villager Ali's search for justice is one of Yeşilçam's favourite themes: a hero who stands with the wronged against the powerful. Remzi Jöntürk's name on the script brings the epic air of that era. Disguises, mistaken identities and Ali's love for the governor's daughter Zerrin give the film the flavour of an old-fashioned tale. Spotting Hulusi Kentmen in the cast is a pleasure of its own.

Action & Thriller Fan Puts pace, tension and set pieces first; little patience for slow drama.

A javelin contest, a raid on a village, a gold-laden caravan stopped on the road: on paper there is plenty of action material. In about 90 minutes events follow each other quickly, and the disguises keep the pace lively. Still, it would be unfair to expect today's fight choreography from a 1969 film; some scenes may look naive now. Cüneyt Arkın's heroic energy carries the film on his back.

History & Society Lens Asks about the period, the social background and what the work reflects.

A Turkish-Iranian co-production, Melikşah keeps the sultan it is named after in the background and tells its main story through the eyes of a wronged villager. It is an interesting choice: history is seen not from the palace but from the people living under a local strongman. The sultan travelling in plain clothes and listening to his subjects' troubles is a familiar storytelling pattern built on the image of the just ruler. But the film is an adventure, not a historical chronicle; rather than expecting the reality of the period, it is better read as a folk tale. That it was made in both Persian and Turkish also reflects the two countries' interest in a shared past.

These are not reader reviews: they are short editorial takes written from different viewer perspectives with AI assistance. Reader reviews are below.

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