"Uchqun Tillayev gave my daughter away in marriage while I was in America." Sohib Abbosxon on his experiences in emigration and betraying his profession

“Uchqun Tillayev married off my daughter while I was in America.” Sohib Abbosxon on his experiences in emigration and betraying his profession

The well-known actor and director Sohib Abbosxon, who has been living in the US for several years, gave an interview to the “Izlarim” (My Traces) project of the “Mening yurtim” TV channel. During the conversation, the artist spoke about how his close friend, People's Artist of Uzbekistan Uchqun Tillayev, married off his eldest daughter while he was in America, about his life in the US, and about realizing that he made a mistake by distancing himself from art.

“Coming to America is equivalent to stepping into adult life right after being born”

— After coming to America, you start your life completely from scratch. It is like falling into adult life right after being born, without even going to kindergarten. You have no acquaintances here. Your parents, friends, and children are not by your side. You take the entire burden on your own shoulders. And this oppresses a person very hard, makes them cry. In such difficult moments, I wanted to return to my homeland every day. At such times, I say to myself: “What did I lack, why couldn't I just enjoy making films and portraying characters in movies in my own country?”

But it must also be said that the years I left for the US were a period when attention was just beginning to be paid to Uzbek cinema. Around 2017, the doors of the industry began to open. In the last decade, very big opportunities have appeared in cinema. Interestingly, after I left, dramatic positive changes took place in the industry. Some of my director friends joke, saying: “Cinema developed after you left, it would be fine if you didn't return for another 10-15 years,” he says.

“I washed dishes in a pizzeria and went to my friends dressed like a ‘minister’”

— I started my first activity here in a hotel. Then I moved to work in a pizzeria. At that time, those who worked there had to take turns at the end of the shift, mopping the floor one day and washing the dishes another day. Since there were cameras in the kitchen, I asked the guy working with me, saying: “Make sure that me appearing in the videos does not leak outside.”

One night I was washing dishes. A group of artists from Uzbekistan had arrived in the city where we lived. They suddenly made a video call to me. At that time, I was wearing a leather apron, rubber gloves on my hands, and a work cap on my head. And about 200 unwashed dishes were piled up in the pizzeria. After they called repeatedly, I finally pressed the decline button. Then I made an audio call and told them that I would finish my work and arrive quickly. While washing the dishes, I burst into tears because I was here while my friends were waiting for me. After about half an hour, I finished my work, put on nice clothes, got into my car, and went to my friends looking like a “minister,” he says.

“Uchqun Tillayev's award is my achievement too”

During the conversation, the actor said he was happy that his close friend Uchqun Tillayev was awarded the title of People's Artist.

— My friend Uchqun being awarded makes me as happy as if I were awarded myself. We studied in the same year during our student years and were very close. Our friendship still continues. Even when I couldn't make it myself, Uchqun married off my eldest daughter, meaning he took charge of and held the wedding. I participated in the process online while covering the financial expenses of the wedding. But my friend took all the organizational running around upon himself.

Later, when I was in Uzbekistan myself, I married off another daughter of mine. Even then, despite having a lot of work, he did not leave my side. Leaving aside all his duties in cinema, the ministry, and the theater, he was with me.

“It seems I have betrayed my profession...”

The actor also did not hide his regret for being away from his country, profession, and creativity for several years.

— At the age of 16, I finished school and entered the Namangan Theater as a stage worker with the dream of becoming an actor. At first glance, it seems like I just got lucky all of a sudden, but there is a lot of hard work behind this. In those days, I swept the theater stage and mopped its floors. Whatever hard work there was behind the scenes, I did it all with dedication.

By a happy coincidence, three months later I was transferred to the acting staff. At that time, the lead actor of a major play at the theater did not show up. And I, watching from the side of the stage, had memorized the lines of all the characters. They put me on stage instead of that actor who didn't come. The next day, a meeting was held, and I was officially accepted into acting. I worked there for the next year.

Both my destiny and my luck are connected with the stage and creativity. But I have distanced myself from it. I think it seems I have betrayed my profession. In our youth, our teachers used to say: “If every profession is approached with loyalty, blessing will surely be found through it.” As they said, I also found blessing from this profession. But thinking that my life could have been even more blessed, I now realize that I did the wrong thing by distancing myself from creativity, says Sohib Abbosxon.