Forbidden Love

Set in a lavish Istanbul mansion by the Bosporus, the series centers on Adnan, a widower who keeps a watchful eye on his daughter Nihal and his son Bülent while the city hums around him. Into this carefully guarded domestic world steps Bihter, a poised socialite with her own private ambitions. Behlül, the relative who shares the house, becomes a confidant and a provocateur as he and Bihter cross lines they both pretend not to see. What starts as a mutual attraction soon unsettles the routines of the household and the people who orbit it, from the staff who keep the gears turning to the friends and rivals who measure status by appearances. The show probes desire and duty, and the price of keeping secrets.

Released in 2008, the series is directed by Hilal Saral and written by Burcu Gürgün, Ece Yörenç and Melek Gençoğlu. It adapts Halit Ziya Uşaklıgil’s classic novel Aşk-ı Memnu for a contemporary television audience.

Fans remember Bihter and Behlul as iconic symbols of forbidden love, and the series helped launch Beren Saat and Kivanc Tatlioglu onto the international stage. Its lush visuals, quotable moments, and sweeping melodrama left a lasting imprint on Turkish pop culture and abroad.

Critics praised the drama for its emotional intensity, strong performances, and its examination of desire versus social obligation. The series looks at wealth, reputation, family duty, and the costs of passion, offering a pointed view of late 2000s Turkish urban life.