Uzbek Actor and Director Abdumannon Ubaydullayev Dies at 86

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Well-known Uzbek actor, director and teacher Abdumannon Ubaydullayev has died at the age of 86, the Union of Cinematographers of Uzbekistan said.

Ubaydullayev gained widespread recognition after starring in director Zulfiqar Musakov's 2006 film Homeland. He was 66 years old at the time of filming.

He later appeared in the films Luck, The Last Moment, Deceived Soul and The Hut, as well as in a number of television series.

Before beginning his acting career, Ubaydullayev worked as a director at children's radio and later at the theatre of the Kashkadarya Region. He subsequently produced the radio magazine Tabassum (Smile).

He held a Candidate of Sciences degree in art studies, was an Honoured Youth Worker and taught at the Department of Sound Directing and Cinematography at the State Institute of Arts and Culture.

In a 2023 interview with Kun, Ubaydullayev said: "If there is knowledge that you have accumulated with such great effort, someone should receive it from you."

He also said that when applying to the Institute of Culture, he chose directing because he believed that the director leads the work of actors.