What do you do when your present is haunted by your past and your future remains uncertain due to it? The Tailor asks the same question. Directed by Cem Karci, The Tailor is a Netflix original Turkish mystery thriller. It premiered a while ago and is brimming with secrets and intense backstories. It revolves around a popular fashion designer, Peyami Dokumacı (Cagatay Ulusoy), who flaunts a smile on the outside and is tormented by his past on the inside.
One of the major questions The Tailor leaves the audience with is the topic of our discussion. Is The Tailor based on a true story? Does there exist someone called Peyami? What happens to him in the end? For all of your questions, here are the answers! Let us get on with it, shall we?
Is The Tailor Based On A True Story?
After a tragic incident, Peyami is forced to return to his hometown and confront his past and the people who contributed to making it miserable. His father, Mustafa (Olgun Şimşek), suffers from a mental condition and acts like a child due to it. Now, he has to take care of his father and bear the scars of his past. On his quest to find a caregiver for Mustafa, Peyami meets Esvet. Though everything appears to be simple for a while, both Peyami and Esvet have a closet full of secrets and that weighs down on them.
Is The Tailor based on a true story? Well, yes, it is. This Turkish thriller, The Tailor, is based on a novel written by Gülseren Budayıcıoğlu, entitled Hayata Do. This novel deals with the effects of psychological pressure and a tormenting past. Peyami Dokumacı might be a fictional name but the story is real and heart-wrenching to an extent as well.
Does The Tailor Represent Gülseren Budayıcıoğlu’s Real-Life Story?
Gülseren Budayıcıoğlu is a Turkish leading novelist and TV series writer. Being a psychiatrist, Gülseren specializes in psychological thrillers and knows how to trigger the audience with her words. She has been writing from a very young and now, even at 70, Gülseren is not ready to give up her passion yet. Hayata Do is one such passionate novel by Budayıcıoğlu that highlights the life of a seemingly normal tailor. But the said fashion designer holds a myriad of emotions and stands at a crucial stage in his life. He has to choose between his best friend and lover with his father’s ailment acting as a catalyst for his decision.
Hayata Don has been appreciated widely by the Turkish audience and has been received warmly in the international market as well. As touching as the character is, it is not based on Budayıcıoğlu’s personality. Rather, Gülseren took inspiration from her wide experience as a psychiatrist and a patient it seems. However, she has been discreet regarding the person behind her inspiration.
Is The Tailor Based On The Life Story Of Gülseren Budayıcıoğlu’s Brother?
Budayıcıoğlu isn’t overly enthusiastic about sharing her true inspiration behind her novel Hayata Don which is now adapted into a Netflix series, The Tailor. Whatever might be her reason. What’s worth noting is Gülseren Budayıcıoğlu’s brother has the same name as one of the major characters of the novel and the series, Mustafa. Has Gülseren Budayıcıoğlu dedicated a novel to her brother? Is she narrating a story she went unfold in front of her eyes?
Since not much is known about him, nothing could be said for sure. It is a very strong possibility though. The names can be a coincidence, too, of course. Since Gülseren Budayıcıoğlu and the makers claim The Tailor to be based on a true story, this is the best explanation. Mustafa, Gülseren Budayıcıoğlu’s brother, is probably her inspiration and the reason The Tailor exists.
Here Is How The Tailor Adapted Hayata Don And Premiered On Netflix
This is probably one of those series that garnered attention due to the countless developmental changes it went through. Earlier, the series was entitled Suslu Korkuluk (Fancy Scarecrow) and was scheduled to premiere on another platform. As the series progressed, its name went from Fancy Scarecrow to The Tailor aka Terzi in Turkish. Netflix later acquired the rights for Terzi and became a Netflix original series. The shooting began in 2022 and wrapped close to New Year’s Eve.
The then-untitled series was scheduled for a November 2023 release initially. However, the production finished early and the Netflix executives decided to schedule The Tailor for May 2023. The cast members kept fluctuating and there was hardly anything the makers could do about it. At last, the director, Cem Karci, decided on Cagatay Ulusoy, Şifanur Gül, Salih Bademci and Olgun Şimşek to portray the roles of Peyami, Esvet, Dimitri and Mustafa.