Mukhtar al-Taqafi from Reviving al-Islam blog

Reviving al-Islam blog has an interesting post about Mukhtar al-Thaqafi. al-Thaqafi is introduced as a member of Kaysaniyya (a Ghulat sect) based on the following source

When you research the life of al-Mukhtār bin Abī `Ubaydah al-Thaqafī you will see that he was one of the leaders of the Kaysāniyyah sect. The Kaysāniyyahs were those who believed that Muhammad al-Hanafiyyah was the Imām after his father. The sect was called Kaysāniyyah because al-Mukhtār’s laqab (nickname) was Kaysān. (See: al-Nawabakhtī, Firaq al-Shī`ah, pg. 33, # 55).

Nader also believes that the action of Mukhtar al-Thaqafi to avenge the tragedy of Karbala is praiseworthy (based on some narration) but the personality of al-Thaqafi is not without controversy.

He also made a side comment about an Iranian TV series portrayal of Mukhtar as a good guy.

our Shee`ahs are getting misguided and swayed by this new phenomenon TV series by Iran titled Mukhtār Nameh (Narratives of Mukhtār). If you were to watch this TV series, by the time you finish watching it you will be under the impression that al-Mukhtār was a “good” guy, when it is farther from the truth.