The world of Turkish drama has deep roots well worth exploring. I recently worked my way backwards and discovered Karadayi (“Black Uncle”) again. This highly successful series aired between 2012-2015 and remains a fan favorite to this day. Karadayi delves even further into the past, back to 1970’s Istanbul. Here the fashions make sense, the cars seem too old for the 70’s, and a prime parking space is always waiting. I was rapidly pulled into its world of Turkish gangsters, crooked politicians, nightclubs, and, um, shoemakers. Here are my own occasionally irreverent reflections on this very entertaining series.
Now that I’ve finished Karadayi – all 115 episodes – perhaps now I can do some cooking for my family, pay some bills, do a little housework, and get to sleep at a reasonable hour. Did someone just say "obsessed"? The plain answer is EVET! Here are some (mostly) spoiler-free thoughts.
I'm primarily a Kivanc girl, although I've seen many other attractive Turkish men in my dizi travels. Then I came across Kenan Imirzalioğlu in Karadayi. Girlfriends, I can tell you that this man is not my usual type. But, because of Kenan, my “usual type” theory has been blown to smithereens. Tall and dark, good looking as all get-out, Kenan has a fabulous walk, and wears clothes in an elegant manner. And when he smiles? It goes right up into his eyes and I legit fan-woman melt. Ok. I'm done swooning – for now.
The story of Karadayi is rooted in the triumph of goodness over evil. It champions everyday people over those who are corrupt and powerful. It features a beautiful and passionate love story between a strong, honorable man from a loving family and a beautiful, intelligent and female judge from a wealthy but highly dysfunctional family. They have loyal best friends, supportive neighbors, and face bad, really bad villains. Karadayi has all the Turkish customs and traditions I could ever ask for. Parental guidance and love. Respectful manners. Many invocations of Allah, whether in reverence or frustration. But most of all, gripping storylines that cause you to adore many of the characters and despise many others.
There is the ever-present food being prepared and served, a lot of tea poured although most of both goes untouched. Because you can be sure there will arise an urgent and immediate need to leave the table prior to having taken a single bite of food or a single sip of tea. Although there is not the constant interruption of cellphones, there is a constant stream of visitors using the door knocker. One person leaves, another one shows up, and the cycle repeats itself.
The script sparkles and the acting is outstanding. Courtroom scenes, touching family interactions, adorable children, kidnappings, prison cells, cemeteries, eavesdropping, bribery, corruption, backstabbing (literally!), deception, tragic death, and true love. All have a place in Karadayi. Sometimes, the circuitous route to justice, the false arrests, the misunderstandings, and the sheer evilness were hard to take. Yet I managed to survive; nay, thrive despite it all.
The Key Players:
Nazif Kara: The wise and caring patriarch of the Kara family. He loves poetry but loves his family above all. He has a dark past, simmering but well-controlled just below the surface, and he is ever mindful of the potential danger it holds. While carefully tucked away out of sight, those experiences help make him the person he has ultimately become. A man of integrity and honor. He is framed for murder which sets the wheels of the story into motion. When faced with adversity, the hard elements of his past combined with his sense of morality, faith, and justice enable Nazif to endure unimaginable personal and family hardships. Sensitively played by veteran actor Cetin Tekindor, Nazif Kara is by turns resolute and tender-hearted.
Mahir Kara: (Resume swoon!) The obedient and loving son of Nazif. He is the truest of lovers, righteous, yet humble, and throws a mean “Ottoman Slap”. Mahir is not highly educated but has problem-solving skills and a level of intuition that far surpass his roots as a simple neighborhood shoemaker. He takes on a daring and unstoppable journey to exonerate his father, finding true love and a knack for his own style of criminality along the way. Tenacious and honest, Mahir is also a love-talker extraordinaire. He looks fabulous in or out of shirts and rocks a three-piece suit with Turkish flair. He looks like a great kisser, too…but I digress. One unforgettable scene depicts Mahir shouting words of love and encouragement over the high prison wall to his father, who is listening from the jail yard. While neither is visible to the other, the connection between father and son is palpable. This is one of the most moving on-screen moments I’ve ever experienced.
Feride Sadoglu: Our heroine. The role of the honorable judge is played beautifully by Berguzar Korel. She is Mahir’s unlikely but truest love. Loyal and with a big heart, she is adorably stubborn and a prudent advocate of the law. She is shy but passionate, and has more coats than any woman, ever. Feride can pack all her trim suits and heels into one very small suitcase. Some say that in the end, she gives up too much, but I say she is amazing.
Mehmet Saim Bey: The father of Feride and the very epitome of evil. He sacrifices the well-being of his own daughter and son for power and wealth. Abusive and arrogant, his demand for obedience from his grown daughter Feride is beyond normal, even for 1970’s Turkey.
Turgut: The crooked and sociopathic prosecutor. This actor is simply brilliant. His villainy was so over the top, he made it look normal. There are no more words to describe this character portrayal: it must be seen to be believed! I laughed and I cried.
Necdet: A small-time gangster who wants to run with the big boys. He is tragically weak and easily rattled. Poor Necdet will never be tall or trustworthy.
Belgin: A sashaying, dangerous femme fatale who will never get what she really wants: Mahir's love. Brilliantly cunning, cool and unflappable, with consistently perfect red lipstick, Mahir is her biggest weakness. She does things her way to the bitter end.
Notable Details:
Material Evidence: What I’ve learned is lock up all important documents. Don't tell ANYONE where you've put them, and try not to get killed. Otherwise, the evidence will never make its way into the appropriate hands. Be very aware that police officers and prosecutors may not be what they seem.
Healthcare: There is ONLY ONE decrepit ambulance for all of 1970’s Istanbul. Whether you've been shot or stabbed, you are sure to spend maybe three days or less in the hospital. Maybe you'll limp for about 24 hours and then you will be fine. As a nurse, I will tell you that every patient’s EKG screen looks identical. Based on this, none of these characters should be among the living.
Automobiles: The models ranged from the 50's to the 70's. Some with flat tires, and some with the doors falling off. The same Red Chevy taxicab was seen in both Istanbul and in Ankara. But Mahir's huge Lincoln Continental and his mad driving skills rule the roads.
The Phone Booth: There was only one and it was a wooden model with hand painted letters. I'm sure the film crew just picked it up and moved it to wherever it was needed.
Street animals: We see the usual cats and dogs of Istanbul, casually photobombing the scenes and owning their turf. Their ever-existing presence in Turkish film must mean the directors have long given up on retakes.
Mahir's Neighborhood: I don't know if this was a real area of Istanbul or a film set, but I do know one thing about it. It always felt like home. When Mahir walked through the street, I knew where the bakery, shoe shop, and cafe’ were located. I knew that the residents would be on the lookout for the well-being of their neighbors. There's really no place like home.
Is There a Happy Ending?
My first question before even starting a new Turkish show has to do with how it ends. We all know how very sadly some Turkish dramas conclude, and I was way too cowardly to endure another tragic ending to this one. No spoiler but just need to say, Karadayi does end well. But the drama and anxiety definitely hold the watcher until the very end. So here I am, 115 episodes later, still missing Mahir and his family. I see re-watches in my future. Or maybe I will scope out the other Kenan films and series – ALL of them! Funny how I seriously don’t care any longer if subtitles are included.
Copyright by North America-Ten and Teddie Potter.
Author: Teddie Potter
Teddie discovered the art form of the Turkish dizi in 2016, becoming hopelessly hooked. American born and of Greek-Cypriot descent, she lives in New Jersey with her family. Teddie is a long-time Registered Nurse working in Brain Injury rehabilitation.
Teddie blogs for North America-Ten.com and is a Guest Writer on the Can Yaman International Forum and the Kenan Imirzalioglu North America Forum Facebook pages. She continues to blog on the topic of the Outlander series on various platforms, such as Nerdeeklife.com (https://bit.ly/2TsAZ24, the link for a recent Roundtable Review of Outlander, “What will the Frasers make of their free will?”).
On Twitter: @Teepe54.
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