The film tells the story of a romance between an Iranian intelligence agent and the daughter of an opposition group leader.
The film was withdrawn from the screening schedule of the 23rd Fajr International Film Festival 2005 by Hatamikia due to the objections of the Intelligence Ministry.
Afterwards, the screening license for the film was suspended and it was unofficially banned. "In the Color of Purple" is slated to be screened at the 28th Fajr International Film Festival in Tehran in February 2010.
Producer Jamal Sadatian sent a letter to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad early last May, asking him to remove restrictions preventing the screening of the film.
Ahmadinejad ordered Shamaqdari, who was his art advisor at that time, to resolve the problem on screening of the film through a meeting with the intelligence minister.