He is one of the people who has repeatedly recounted stories about how the film and the actors were banned.[4] About how the film’s success was turned into disaster Motalebi says:In one friday Mr. Mohsen Makhmalbaf gathered a couple of people and they started collecting signatures for a petition which was written on a scroll, stating that “We have made a revolution while these actors are transgressors.” They did it right in front of that theater in the Revolution Square near the university of Tehran. They said “Look how theaters are crowded while friday events are deserted.” That’s how they stopped my film.