Life after the glory of Matlyuba Alimova: Why the star "Budulaya" disappeared from the screens

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

After the films came out "Gypsy" and "Return of Budulai", on the Uzbek actress Matlyub Alimov incredible popularity has collapsed. She was often called Nastya - after the name of her heroine, and the gypsies took for theirs. After such a meteoric rise, everyone was waiting for a brilliant continuation of her film career, but this, alas, did not happen. In the 1990s. one of the most beautiful actresses stopped acting in films, disappeared from Russia and did not give interviews for a long time. Only recently did she talk about why for 10 years she did not remind the audience of herself.

Matlyuba is Uzbek only by her father, and in her mother's family there were Georgians, and Russians, and Poles, and Germans. Probably, it is to the mixing of many bloods that she owes her exotic beauty. Although the realization of her own attractiveness came to her rather late - in her native Andijan, Uzbek boys often teased and offended her, only years later did she realize that in this way they showed attention.

She dreamed of becoming an actress since childhood, so after school, without hesitation, she went to enroll in VGIK. She was lucky enough to get on the course to Alexei Batalov, who became a real guiding star for her: "".

Alimova's film debut, which took place immediately after graduating from VGIK, was very bright and successful - stars of the first magnitude played along with her in "Little Tragedies". The actress admitted: "". On the screen, such passions seethed between her and Vysotsky that the audience immediately decided: there was a romance between them and in life! However, Alimova claims: "". Vysotsky constantly encouraged the debutante on the set and helped her to believe in her own strength.

She was able to build a warm relationship with Mihai Volontir, with whom they starred in the films "Gypsy" and "Return of Budulai", which became the finest hour of both actors. The name Nastya became the second name of the actress, she got used to respond when she was called that on the streets. And Matlyuba always remembered the unique atmosphere on the set of these legendary films with trepidation: “”.

Acquaintances often called her too proud and arrogant. She really always knew her own worth and in no situation did she lose her self-esteem, but this can hardly be called arrogance. Matlyuba Alimova was used to setting high standards for herself and did not want to sacrifice principles for the sake of the new time, she did not know how to adapt to the changed reality. Perhaps that is why in the 1990s. the actress did not manage to find her niche in the profession - she was not offered worthy roles, and she could not act only for the sake of money: "".

After the collapse of the Union, Matlyuba left for Tashkent and started restoring ancient Uzbek carpets. While embroidering, she forgot about her troubles and regained peace of mind. This did not bring large incomes, and soon there was nothing to live on. Then Alimova went to Moscow again. At first she lived with her sister, until she met the abbot of one of the churches. He helped her find the lost meaning of life. The actress lived in a tiny room at the church, which looked like a cell, and was absolutely happy: her spiritual quest ended with the fact that she came to God.

In her personal life, the actress also experienced a lot of dramas. Her first marriage was a student: Murat Akhmetov studied to be a director on a parallel course. They very quickly decided to get married, but the family was destroyed by her husband's pathological jealousy. Before the wedding, he seemed to her gentle and caring, but in fact he turned out to be a real oriental despot and tyrant. At his insistence, while still studying, she had an abortion, and after that she could no longer have children. She did not dare to marry again: "".

In the 2000s, they again began to offer her roles in films, however, they were all small, and there was no triumphant return to the profession, although there were some worthwhile proposals: Alimova played a cameo role in Bortko's film Taras Bulba. She did not go to the directors and did not beg for roles for herself - she did not allow her pride. When the actress again lost her job, she returned to Tashkent and again took up the restoration of embroideries. She treats the sharp turns of her fate philosophically and does not regret her former glory: "".

But her filming partner in "Gypsy" has a more successful film career: How Soviet actress Clara Luchko managed to achieve international recognition.