Deep in Love premiered in October in Türkiye and has been continuing its run with strong ratings. Starring Deniz Baysal and Ulaş Tuna Astepe, the series draws viewers in with its emotional depth and Black Sea atmosphere. We sat down with its director, Çağrı Bayrak, creators, Ayşe Ferda Eryılmaz and Nehir Erdem, and leading stars, Aytek Şayan, Erdem Şanlı, Zeynep Atılgan, and Onur Dilber to talk about the story’s emotional journey and what makes Deep in Love connect with audiences around the world.
“The viewer doesn’t just watch a story, they enter that geography. What makes ‘Deep in Love’ resonate internationally is not the big words it contains; it is the telling of very real, very human and very familiar emotions.”
You are playing Adil’s sister Fadime from the Koçari family in Deep in Love. We would like to hear about Fadime from you.
Zeynep Atılgan: Fadime Koçari is a warrior who grew up in the mountains. She is an orphan, but she isn’t a victim. She is strong because she has no other choice. She doesn’t care about the rules; she doesn’t know fear. She is all smiles on the outside, but inside, she has a loneliness she doesn’t show anyone. When she loves, she loves as if the person were her own blood, if she becomes an enemy, she doesn’t blink an eye. The hardness of the mountain is in her body, the fire is in her heart. Fadime is a child who learned how to survive and a woman who doesn’t know how to lose.
Fadime loves her brother, Adil, deeply and can take any risk for him. She is very angry with Esme because she hurt her brother. I think her love for Eleni and how she embraced her makes the viewers empathize with her more. What do you think the viewers love most about Fadime?
Zeynep Atılgan: Fadime isn’t trying to be strong; she has to be. She doesn’t have any intention to show her power, she only uses it to protect the people she loves. Her commitment to her brother, Adil, is very resolute. It is not blind loyalty. Fadime loves but questions, stands against people if necessary. That is why their relationship doesn’t look romanticized, it seems real. Her anger towards Esme isn’t because of jealousy, it’s because she hurt her brother. The bond she forms with Eleni is very valuable to me.
Fadime isn’t a savior in that relationship, she doesn’t look down on her. She stands beside her. She embraces Eleni, but doesn’t drown her. That’s where viewers feel a lot more empathy because Fadime’s affection is quiet, simple, and very real.
And there is also Fadime’s weakness. Her orphan roots, her loneliness… She never talks about them while crying. On the contrary, she covers them with laughter, by standing tall, and her restless energy. Viewers see that hurt but don’t pity her; they respect Fadime. Because that weakness has turned into a weapon. Fadime doesn’t express her love with words. She stands shoulder to shoulder with people she loves, she takes risks for them, she shields them.
I think that’s what the viewers connect with the most: A character who doesn’t speak about love but acts on it. In short, Fadime doesn’t exist to be loved. But when she loves, she lays down her life. I think viewers love this honesty about her.
Scenes between İso and Fadime are viewers’ favorites. What do you think will be their biggest trial?
Zeynep Atılgan: Their biggest trial is not their love; it’s who they are. It is not hard for them to love each other, it’s hard to accept it. They grew up as enemies, they are both characters who learned survival not with love but as a reflex. Fadime’s biggest trial will be laying down her weapon for the first time against someone she loves. Facing an emotion she can’t figure out with her power, she can’t attack and get rid of… This is very foreign to her. And there is the issue of trust. They both grew up surrounded by betrayal.
That is why they’re always on edge when getting close to each other. And what viewers love is the question of “are they going to run or stay?’ in each scene. I think İso and Fadime’s real trial is: Can they give up not just that hostility but also themselves in order to love each other? Viewers love this story because it is not a romantic tale, it is two tough characters trying to learn how to soften.
What did you feel when you first read the Deep in Love project? What affected you the most when you read Fadime, the general stories and other characters? How did you prepare for Fadime?
Zeynep Atılgan: What affected me the most when I first read Deep in Love was how the emotion wasn’t sterile. The story is rough, everyone is so naked, without embellishment. Nobody tries to look good, nobody is innocent but everyone is so human. That really impressed me.
What I saw when I read Fadime was someone who was strong but tired, tough but affectionate, very brave but doesn’t know how to deal with emotions. How she doesn’t cry about her orphan roots and how she shows her love with action instead of words instantly drew me in. What I liked about the general story was how it didn’t romanticize the animosity.
There is love but it’s not fairytale-like; it’s something with cost, something that hurts. Other characters are also very layered. There is no single perspective, everyone is right in their own way. When I was preparing to play Fadime, I first started with my body. How she walks, how she stands, how she moves… There is no elegance in her world; there is just speed and reflex. Then I looked at her emotions, especially to where she suppresses hers.
Her orphan roots, her loneliness, her fear of loving… I tried to show them without shouting, in small moments. Playing Fadime is very informative for me because she is a character who doesn’t hide her weakness, she is someone who learned to live with it.
The series is filmed in Trabzon, which contributes a lot to the story visually. How did you find Trabzon? What do you think being in a different city together with the entire team adds to the story? What can you tell us about the set?
Zeynep Atılgan: Trabzon is not just the story’s background, it’s almost like a character. It feeds the story a lot with its mountains, sea, its harshness. Being there automatically elevated the story’s tone; you don’t have to fake the emotion, nature gives it to you. The set atmosphere is very fast-paced, but very vivid. The weather, geography, and ever-changing nature make it difficult for us, but that difficulty serves the story.
Because everyone is aware of it, the motivation is high. Everyone has each other’s back, there is a supportive environment within the team. For me, shooting in Trabzon made playing Fadime easier. Being there makes you feel the character’s toughness, resilience, and freedom. I think this is one of the crucial things the viewers will feel through the screen…
We’re interviewing you for our Content Americas issue, the series’ international journey began quickly. With which qualities do you think Deep in Love will affect viewers from different cultures the most?
Zeynep Atılgan: One of the things that will affect the international viewers the most is how the characters move in gray areas. Nobody is completely good or evil. Everyone is trying to survive with their own truths. This, regardless of culture, is something very familiar. Another thing is the strong female characters. Women like Fadime, who draw their power from her body and her relationship with nature, who aren’t romanticized are very striking for the viewers. These representations resonate everywhere in the world.
And of course, the visual world. Trabzon’s nature, when combined with the harshness of the story, creates a highly cinematic language. The viewer doesn’t just watch a story, they enter that geography. In short, what makes Deep in Love resonate internationally is not the big words it contains; it is the telling of very real, very human and very familiar emotions.
