Persona (2018)
Persona is a Turkish crime, drama, mystery series broadcast on puhutv, GAİN, first aired in 2018. Retired courthouse clerk Agâh Beyoğlu is diagnosed with the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease and begins pursuing his own form of justice against people he believes escaped punishment. Detective Nevra Elmas’s investigation eventually connects his crimes to a buried past in Kambura.
Persona cast: Haluk Bilginer (Agâh Beyoğlu), Şebnem Bozoklu (Zuhal Çelik), Recep Usta (Deva Çelik), Cansu Dere (Nevra Elmas), Necip Memili (Tolga Yazgan), Metin Akdülger (Ateş Arbay).
Detailed content was compiled from sources with AI; pending editorial review. Editor: Uğur Arı.
Plot
Produced by Ay Yapım, Persona follows 65-year-old retired courthouse clerk Agâh Beyoğlu after he receives an early Alzheimer’s diagnosis. Determined to act before losing his memory, Agâh starts targeting people connected to a crime he believes went unpunished. At the same time, homicide detective Nevra Elmas investigates a series of murders that gradually reveal links to Agâh’s past and to events in Kambura. The series explores memory, identity, impunity, social silence, and the tension between personal revenge and the rule of law.
Origins of the story
Adaptation status
No reliable source confirms that the series is an official adaptation of a novel, short story, book, film, series, play, memoir, or historical work. The screenplay is credited to Hakan Günday.
Connection to reality
No reliable direct source confirms that Persona was adapted from a specific real event or real person. Its themes relate to real-world issues such as sexual violence, impunity, social silence, and the pursuit of justice, but this does not establish a direct true-story basis.
Iconic filming locations
The story setting and the real filming site are identified separately.
The apartment where Agâh Beyoğlu lives
Asmalı Mescit · İstanbul · Türkiye
- Use in filming
- Exterior and interior filming of Agâh Beyoğlu’s apartment
- Place represented in the story
- Beyoğlu, Istanbul — Agâh Beyoğlu’s home
- Scenes and context
- Sources place the apartment in Asmalı Mescit, Beyoğlu. No further address is provided because it is a private residence.
Şişhane
Şişhane · İstanbul · Türkiye
- Use in filming
- Short exterior shoots and city views
- Place represented in the story
- Beyoğlu, Istanbul — Not explicitly stated in the sources
- Scenes and context
- Şişhane is identified as one of the Beyoğlu areas used for some scenes.
Çiçek Pasajı
Beyoğlu · İstanbul · Türkiye
- Use in filming
- Short location shoots and urban atmosphere
- Place represented in the story
- Beyoğlu, Istanbul — Not explicitly stated in the sources
- Scenes and context
- The source identifies Çiçek Pasajı as a location used for some scenes.
Tünel
Beyoğlu · İstanbul · Türkiye
- Use in filming
- Short exterior shoots and city views
- Place represented in the story
- Beyoğlu, Istanbul — Not explicitly stated in the sources
- Scenes and context
- Tünel is listed among the historic Beyoğlu locations used for some scenes.
Beykoz Korusu
Beykoz · İstanbul · Türkiye
- Use in filming
- Exterior filming and natural-environment views
- Place represented in the story
- Istanbul — Not explicitly stated in the sources
- Scenes and context
- Television sources identify Beykoz Korusu as one of the filming locations.
Riva
Beykoz · İstanbul · Türkiye
- Use in filming
- Exterior filming and natural-environment views
- Place represented in the story
- Istanbul — Not explicitly stated in the sources
- Scenes and context
- Riva is identified as one of the Istanbul-area filming locations.
Çamlıca Tepesi
Üsküdar · İstanbul · Türkiye
- Use in filming
- Landscape and exterior filming
- Place represented in the story
- Istanbul — Not explicitly stated in the sources
- Scenes and context
- Çamlıca Tepesi is listed among the Istanbul locations used for different scenes.
Gölyazı
Nilüfer · Bursa · Türkiye
- Use in filming
- Scenes set in Kambura and at Kambura Courthouse
- Place represented in the story
- Kambura — the fictional region in the series
- Scenes and context
- Kambura is a fictional region absent from real maps. Kambura scenes were filmed in Gölyazı, Nilüfer, Bursa; an old building in Gölyazı was used for Kambura Courthouse.
Location details were compiled from sources with AI assistance and are pending editorial review.
Trailer
Details
- Year
- 2018–2024
- Channel
- puhutv, GAİN
- Genre
- crime, drama, mystery
- Seasons
- 2
- Episodes
- 22
- Rating
- 8.1
Cast
Character Map
Hero
Anti-hero
- ↳ Nevra Elmas — ally
- ↳ Zuhal Çelik — relative
Antagonist
Supporting
Character
What's in this series?
Memory, identity, and personhood
Ay Yapım’s promotional text places the loss of memory and the question of who controls what a person remembers or forgets at the center of the series. Agâh’s diagnosis raises questions about identity, the past, and responsibility.
Impunity and social forgetting
Through Kambura’s past, the series examines how silence and institutions can help crimes disappear from public memory. This is a thematic reading, not confirmation that the series directly adapts a specific real case.
A digital-platform production
Persona was produced by Ay Yapım in 2018 for puhutv, written by Hakan Günday, and directed by Onur Saylak. Its compact structure combines crime storytelling with character-driven drama.
International reception
Haluk Bilginer won the Best Performance by an Actor award at the 47th International Emmy Awards in 2019 for his portrayal of Agâh Beyoğlu.
Frequently asked questions
How many episodes is Persona?
Persona has 22 episodes across 2 seasons.
When did Persona air?
Persona first aired in 2018 on puhutv, GAİN.
Who is in the cast of Persona?
The main cast includes Haluk Bilginer (Agâh Beyoğlu), Şebnem Bozoklu (Zuhal Çelik), Recep Usta (Deva Çelik), Cansu Dere (Nevra Elmas), Necip Memili (Tolga Yazgan), Metin Akdülger (Ateş Arbay).
Sources
- Şahsiyet — Ay Yapım resmî dizi sayfası — Ay Yapım
- Şahsiyet — Show TV tanıtım sayfası — Show TV
- Hakan Günday: Gerçek hayatla sanat arasında kronolojik bir fark var — Nouvart
- Şahsiyet dizisi üzerine akademik inceleme — Başkent Üniversitesi Açık Erişim
- Haluk Bilginer 47. Uluslararası Emmy Ödülleri’nde en iyi erkek oyuncu seçildi — TRT Haber
- Şahsiyet: 1. sezon oyuncuları — Beyazperde
- 47th International Emmy Awards | Personality - Haluk Bilginer — Ay Yapım
