Başkalarının Hayatı (“Other People’s Lives”) is a new Turkish drama set for release on Star TV in 2026, built around ambition, class, romance, and dangerous desire.
It follows a young woman who refuses to accept the life she was born into and will do almost anything to enter a wealthy world she is only ever admired from a distance.
Produced by Ay Yapım for Star TV, the series brings together a large ensemble cast led by Eylül Lize Kandemir, Burak Berkay Akgül, Mehmet Aslantuğ, Doğa Bayram, and Demirhan Demircioğlu.
Başkalarının Hayatı English Meaning
The most direct translation of Başkalarının Hayatı is “Other People’s Lives.” Star TV has not announced an official international title for streaming or export, so treat this as a literal translation, not a confirmed title.
Is Başkalarının Hayatı a Remake? (Adaptation Explained)
Başkalarının Hayatı is a licensed Turkish remake of Rubí, a Mexican telenovela, not an adaptation of Vanity Fair, and not an original Turkish script.
Multiple Turkish entertainment outlets confirm this directly, and several explicitly note that the series has no literary source beyond the original telenovela.
Here is where the Vanity Fair confusion likely comes from, and why it is worth clearing up rather than repeating: Rubí’s premise a poor, beautiful, ruthlessly ambitious young woman who uses charm and manipulation to claw her way into wealthy society, at real cost to the people around her is a close cousin of Becky Sharp’s arc in Vanity Fair. That is a thematic resemblance critics and fans have long drawn between “ambitious social climber” antiheroines across different media, not a credited source.
No Turkish production report and no Star TV or Ay Yapım statement cite Thackeray’s novel as an influence on this show. Attributing it to Vanity Fair was inaccurate, and the correction matters because it changes what kind of ending to expect (more on that below).
Rubí’s real lineage — and why that matters more than a Thackeray comparison
Rubí is not a one-off. It has one of the longest remake histories in Latin American television, and Başkalarının Hayatı is just the latest entry:
| Year | Adaptation | Country | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1963–64 | Original comic strip | Mexico | Written by Yolanda Vargas Dulché for the magazine Lágrimas, Risas y Amor |
| 1968 | Rubí (TV) | Mexico | First TV adaptation, starring Fanny Cano |
| 1970 | Rubí (film) | Mexico | Starring Irán Eory |
| 2004 | Rubí | Mexico | The definitive, most-remembered version — 115 episodes, starring Bárbara Mori; sold to over 20 countries and later marketed as the version other remakes are based on |
| 2010 | Rubi | Philippines | ABS-CBN, starring Angelica Panganiban, 127 episodes |
| 2012 | Ruby | Egypt/Lebanon | Arabic-language remake starring Cyrine Abdelnour |
| 2020 | Rubí | Mexico | A 27-episode reboot for Televisa, starring Camila Sodi |
| 2026 | Başkalarının Hayatı | Turkey | This series, with Hülya standing in for Rubí Pérez |
That lineage is the more useful comparison for viewers than Vanity Fair: it tells you this is a known, tested melodrama format with a track record of hits (and it tells longtime Turkish TV viewers something specific: Rubí actually aired dubbed on Turkish television in the early 2000s and built a real local following, which several outlets note is fueling nostalgia interest in this remake now).
It also matters for how the story likely ends. The original 2004 Rubí is famous for a genuinely dark, morally punishing finale in which the heroine’s scheming costs her almost everything.
If Başkalarının Hayatı follows that structural DNA, which a “licensed remake” typically does more closely than a “loosely inspired by” credit would, Hülya’s ambition is set up to have real consequences, not just narrative tension.
A Vanity Fair framing suggests satire and moral ambiguity; a Rubí framing suggests melodrama with teeth and a reckoning.
Başkalarının Hayatı Plot and Story
At the center of the story is Hülya (Eylül Lize Kandemir), a young woman who has just started university and refuses to accept poverty as her permanent fate, the local counterpart to Rubí Pérez in the original.
Everything changes when she meets Neslihan (Doğa Bayram), daughter of the wealthy, established Fikret Özkaran (Mehmet Aslantuğ). Through Neslihan, Hülya finally gets close to the privileged world she has always wanted, but entering someone else’s world is not the same as belonging to it.
As Hülya chases that world, her path crosses with Erim (Demirhan Demircioğlu), while a growing attraction to Doctor Sarp (Burak Berkay Akgül) adds another emotional thread. Meanwhile, Mediha (Sezin Akbaşoğulları) watches her with open suspicion, unconvinced by her intentions.
Başkalarının Hayatı Cast And Characters
Hülya’s Backstory: Where She Comes From
Most coverage of the series describes Hülya’s background only in vague terms: “poor,” “difficult circumstances.”
Turkish trade reporting is more specific: Hülya lives with her mother and older sister in a gecekondu, an informal, working-class settlement on the city’s margins, and she is admitted to her university on a half-scholarship rather than full funding.
That detail matters for the story’s class conflict: she is not an outsider looking in from extreme poverty, but someone who has earned a foothold in an elite world and still cannot afford to belong to it, which is a sharper, more specific setup than “poor girl meets rich girl.”
Who Is Eylül Lize Kandemir?
Eylül Lize Kandemir, the actress who plays Hülya, was born in 2001 in Istanbul and graduated in Industrial Engineering from Özyeğin University before training as an actor at Erbulak Evi and Craft Tiyatro.
Her screen career began in 2020 with the series Zemheri, followed by roles in Elbet Bir Gün and Ah Nerede. She played Yasemin Yılmaz in Kardeşlerim from 2022–2024, and most recently broke out as Füsun in 2026’s Masumiyet Müzesi, the role that reportedly led Ay Yapım to cast her as Hülya. Başkalarının Hayatı is her first lead role in a mainstream prime-time drama.
What Actually Happens in the Original Rubí (2004)
Most Turkish coverage says Başkalarının Hayatı is “inspired by Rubí” without explaining what that story actually is.
In the 2004 original, Rubí Pérez uses beautiful, poor, and fiercely ambitious schemes to steal her best friend’s wealthy boyfriend as her way into high society.
She spends the series playing a calculated game between love and money, using both to climb as far as she can. It does not end well for her: the original is remembered specifically for a tragic, consequence-heavy finale rather than a redemption arc.
If Başkalarının Hayatı sticks to that structure, as most licensed remakes do, Hülya’s story in Neslihan’s world will likely have real consequences for her, not just short-term drama.
| Actor | Character | Role in the Story |
|---|---|---|
| Eylül Lize Kandemir | Hülya | The ambitious protagonist determined to escape her circumstances |
| Burak Berkay Akgül | Doctor Sarp | Hülya’s love interest and one of the show’s central romantic threads |
| Doğa Bayram | Neslihan | Fikret Özkaran’s daughter; her friendship opens Hülya’s door into wealth |
| Demirhan Demircioğlu | Erim | A key figure in Hülya’s journey into her new world |
| Mehmet Aslantuğ | Fikret Özkaran | Neslihan’s father, representing the established elite Hülya wants in |
| Sezin Akbaşoğulları | Mediha | Suspicious of Hülya from the start |
The full announced cast also includes Tolga Tekin, Oya Okar, Hazar Motan, Feri Baycu, Esra Kızıldoğan, Ali Pınar, Sinem Dağ, Lorin Merhart, Fırat Kaymak, Deniz Ekinci, Elif İnci, Cem Baza, İbrahim Şahin, Zümra Sağdınç, and Erkan Bektaş — a mix of rising talent and veteran performers.
Production Team and Crew
- Production Company: Ay Yapım
- Screenwriter: Banu Kiremitçi Bozkurt (adapting the Rubí format for Turkish audiences)
- Director: Burak Müjdeci
- Broadcaster: Star TV
Başkalarının Hayatı Release Date
The series has been added to Star TV’s new-season schedule. According to Turkish media, it is expected to launch between September and October 2026. That said, Star TV has not yet made an official announcement about the premiere date or set a day for weekly broadcasts, so the September–October period remains a production target for now.
Where to Watch Başkalarının Hayatı Online
The series will air on Star TV in Türkiye, and episodes are usually available the same day on Star TV’s streaming platform for viewers in the country.
Right now, Başkalarının Hayatı is not on Netflix or Prime Video, and there is no confirmed international streaming deal, subtitle release, or licensing partner. If you are outside Türkiye and want to watch with English subtitles, you will need to wait for an official announcement about international distribution.
How to Watch Star TV Outside Türkiye
Star TV’s live broadcast and its domestic streaming platform are geo-restricted to viewers with a Turkish IP address, which is the main obstacle for the large international audience Turkish dramas typically build. Until Başkalarının Hayatı lands on an international platform, there are two realistic options:
- Use a VPN to connect through a Turkish server. This lets you access Star TV’s stream as if you were browsing from Türkiye. It won’t give you English subtitles on its own — Turkish broadcasters air episodes in Turkish only — but it’s the standard workaround Turkish-drama fan communities use to watch episodes live rather than waiting weeks for a subtitled upload elsewhere.
- Another option is to wait for a licensed streaming release. Other popular Ay Yapım shows, such as Kara Sevda and Çukur, were eventually added to platforms like Netflix or regional MENA and Balkan broadcasters with subtitles, usually several months after their Turkish premieres. This is probably how an official English-subtitled version of this series will be released as well, but the timing depends on how well the show does in Türkiye first.
It is safer to choose a reputable VPN provider with good Turkish server coverage and a no-logs policy. Free VPN services are often slower and less reliable for streaming.
Filming Locations
Official filming locations for Başkalarının Hayatı have not been confirmed yet — no scouting reports or set-visit coverage have specified exact neighborhoods, unlike more established Ay Yapım shows. What is confirmed: the series is being filmed entirely in Türkiye.
For context, Ay Yapım productions for Star TV are almost always shot in and around Istanbul, frequently using upscale neighborhoods like Nişantaşı or gated communities such as Kemer Country to represent wealthy families, alongside historic districts like Balat or Üsküdar for grittier, working-class settings a contrast that would fit this story’s class divide well.
Until a location-scouting report or behind-the-scenes footage confirms specific sets, treat any specific address or neighborhood claim about this show circulating online as unverified.
Conclusion
Başkalarının Hayatı has the familiar ingredients of Turkish drama romance, wealth, family tension, and tangled relationships, but knowing its source material changes what you should expect.
This is not a prestige literary adaptation; it is a remake of one of the most successful, most-exported telenovela formats ever made, with a track record of punishing its heroine for her ambition rather than redeeming her for it.
The real question is not whether Hülya gets the life she wants.
It is whether the version of her who gets there is someone she—or the audience still recognizes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Başkalarının Hayatı mean in English?
It translates to “Other People’s Lives.” No official international title has been announced yet.
Is Başkalarının Hayatı based on Vanity Fair?
No. No Turkish production report supports that claim. It is a licensed remake of the 2004 Mexican telenovela Rubí.
Is Başkalarının Hayatı based on a true story?
No — multiple outlets confirm that both Rubí and this Turkish remake are entirely fictional.
Who is in the cast of Başkalarının Hayatı?
The leads are Eylül Lize Kandemir as Hülya, Burak Berkay Akgül as Doctor Sarp, Doğa Bayram as Neslihan, Demirhan Demircioğlu as Erim, and Mehmet Aslantuğ as Fikret Özkaran. The full cast list is above.
When is the release date of Başkalarının Hayatı?
No confirmed date yet; Turkish trade reports point to a September–October 2026 premiere.
Is Başkalarının Hayatı on Netflix?
No. As of this writing, it is confirmed not to be on Netflix or Amazon Prime Video — it airs exclusively on Star TV in Türkiye.
Where can I watch Başkalarının Hayatı online?
It will air on Star TV in Türkiye. International streaming availability, including any English-subtitled release, has not been confirmed. A VPN connected to a Turkish server can unlock the live broadcast, though episodes air in Turkish only.
Where was Başkalarının Hayatı filmed?
It was filmed in Türkiye, most likely in and around Istanbul in line with other Ay Yapım productions, but no specific neighborhoods or sets have been officially confirmed yet.
Will Başkalarının Hayatı have English subtitles?
Not confirmed. Turkish dramas that perform well domestically are frequently picked up for subtitled streaming release later, but no distributor has announced a deal for this series yet.
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