Taghvai’s education in Persian literature deeply influenced his cinematic vision. His screenplays and adaptations reveal an extraordinary command of narrative structure and dialogue. Unlike many of his contemporaries, he believed that film should not imitate literature, but translate its spirit into images. His adaptation of Iraj Pezeshkzad’s My Uncle Napoleon (1976) stands as a masterclass in this philosophy.
He transformed a beloved novel into a timeless television series — one that preserved the humor and nostalgia of the book while giving it a uniquely cinematic vitality. Similarly, his reworking of Hemingway’s To Have and Have Not into Captain Khorshid displayed his ability to foreign material. By moving the story to the Persian Gulf, he didn’t just change geography — he reimagined morality. Hemingway’s smuggler became a symbol of resilience and solitude.
