Gani Azamov

Gani Azamov (in Russian-language sources more often Gani Agzamov) was born on 7 January 1909 in Tashkent. In 1928 he completed the F. Dzerzhinsky preparatory teacher-training courses and worked as a schoolteacher.

From 1930 he appeared on the stage of the Hamza Theatre in Tashkent (now the Uzbek National Academic Drama Theatre). He began with small roles and crowd scenes; his first part was Rahim the patcher in the musical drama “Halima”, and Mamarasul in Uygun's comedy “Qaltis hazil” is counted as his first stage success. Over some six decades he created about a hundred characters.

His best-known stage roles include Domla Imam in Hamza's “Boy ila xizmatchi”, the Astrologer in “Alisher Navoi”, Arslonsher in Sarvar Azimov's “Chin muhabbat”, Yusuf in Abdulla Qahhor's “So'nggi nusxalar”, Bobchinsky in Gogol's “The Government Inspector”, Launce in Shakespeare's “The Two Gentlemen of Verona” and Mo'min in Erkin Vohidov's comedy “Oltin devor”. He played comic, dramatic and lyrical parts with equal skill.

He first appeared on screen in 1953 as Domla Imam in the film “Boy ila xizmatchi”, and went on to act in Uzbekfilm productions such as “Qutlug' qon”, “Ibn Sino”, “Maftuningman”, “Ikki yurak qissasi”, “Qari ustaning vasiyati” and “Abu Rayhon Beruniy”. After the satirical film magazine “Nashtar” was founded, he played Hodja Nasreddin in it for many years.

In 1961 he was named People's Artist of the Uzbek SSR, and in 1989 he became a laureate of the Uzbek SSR State Hamza Prize. He died in Tashkent in 2001. By a presidential decree of 28 May 2026 he was posthumously awarded the Order “Buyuk xizmatlari uchun” for his contribution to culture and the arts.