THE KING OF IMPROVISATION

It was December 1973. Lutvali Abdullayev had returned from a meeting at the Polytechnical Institute (now the Azerbaijani Technical University - author.) where he had been invited, together with the actress Nasiba Zeynalova. After dinner they called friends and acquaintances. The last person he spoke to was the poet Baxtiyar Vahabzada. "Baxtiyar, I'm going to see Mahmud. Do you want me to pass on anything?" Baxtiyar Vahabzada didn't get the joke. He had to be specific: "Mahmud - your father." Both of them were from Saki. They loved to joke. Most probably, on that particular day the poet did not take what his actor friend said seriously. They spoke for a little longer and then said their farewells.

The magic of "Arshin Mal Alan"

…That night Lutvali Abdullayev turned "the pages of his book of life" for the last time. His life, which began on 22 March 1914 in the town of Nuxa (now Saki), had taken him to many places…One recalled his family home. There were three brothers and three sisters. His father Amir sold carpets and often visited Iran. His mother looked after the house. Lutfali completed seven-year school in Saki. It was there that he spent several months as an amateur actor at the workers' club.

He was 14 when he left for Baku. It was September 1928. In his dreams he had set out his whole world. Lutvali was impressed by the play put on by the company of actors who had arrived in Baku several months before. On that unforgettable summer's evening the actors Huseynqulu Sarabskiy, Surayya Qacar, Haqiqat Rzayeva and Ahmad Anatollu brought to the theatre-goers of Saki Uzeyir Hacibayov's celebrated opera "Arshin Mal Alan" ["The Cloth Peddler"]. The professionalism of the actors and the excellence of the music charmed the young Lutvali. After the show he wanted to go backstage and meet the actors. When he saw Ahmad Anatollu leaving the building, it was as if the whole world was Lutvali's oyster. The actor called him up, chatted with him and invited Lutvali to visit his home. That evening they talked not only about "Arshin Mal Alan". The young amateur actor spoke enthusiastically to his experienced colleague about his part in the shows along with the workers. Ahmed Anatollu sensed his immense love for the theatre, and he even tested him a little.  Convinced of Lutvali Abdullayev's talent, he advised him to go to Baku, take a musical education there and learn the intricacies of this art from the top masters.

In Baku he lived with his cousin. From the autumn of 1928 he started attending lessons in the French horn at the Azerbaijani State Conservatoire and also to learn the art of vocalism with Professor Berolskiy. After a successful competition he was included in the choir of the Opera and Ballet Theatre. Soon he began to get work as an extra or walk-on parts.  In 1938, when Ten Days of Azerbaijani Art were on show in Moscow, Lutvali Abdullayev became part of the group of actors of the Opera and Ballet Theatre. That same year the Azerbaijani State Theatre of Musical Comedy was created and Lutvali became part of the company. The theatre closed in 1949 because of financial problems and Lutfali started working at the National Drama Theatre where he played the parts of Rashid in "Who is Guilty?", Tagi in "Old Dudman" and Nadir in "Cicaklanan Arzular". Two years later he moved to the company of the Theatre of Musical Comedy which was a variety ensemble at the Azerbaijani State Philharmonic.

The Azerbaijani and Russian sections of the Theatre of Musical Comedy again started working in 1956. Lutvali Abdullayev became one of its favourite actors. He embodied on the musical comedy stage the images of Vali ("Arshin Mal Alan"). Kabla Heydar ("The Married Bachelor"), Qulu ("100 Years Young", Karim ("The Vazir of the Lankaran Khanate"), Qulamali ("Dervish Mastali Shah"), Qosun ("Whose Wedding?", Sabrali ("We Need Only One Point"), Qahraman ("Gozun Aydin"), Dilavarzada ("The Chief's Wife"), Haci Karim ("Haci Karim's Trip to the Moon"), Mammadali ("Mammadali is Going to the Seaside"), Mitos ("Hicran"), Truffaldino ("Servant of Two Masters"), Haci Qara ("Haci Qara"), Avo ("Sweet Dreams"), Jaco ("Keto and Kote") and others, his acting leaving an indelible mark in the history of the Azerbaijani theatre.

The Azerbaijani Charlie Chaplin

This gifted actor was the centre of the audience's attention from the moment he went on stage. All the parts he has played with such extraordinary skill bear the actor's individual stamp. His career in the cinema was also a successful one. Lutvali Abdullayev's first film was in 1945 when he played the part of Vali in "Arshin Mal Alan". And he became famous straightaway.  He won a USSR State (Stalin) Prize for this part in 1946. There then followed two unforgettable roles in the cinema - Balogdan (1956, "O olmasin, bu olsun", Kefcilov (1950, "Strange Story"), the concert organizer (1962, "Autumn Concert"), Zulumov (1963, "Where's Ahmad?") and Muhammad (1964, "Ulduz"). By his performance he once again confirmed that there are no big parts and small parts, there are gifted actors and mediocre actors.

Lutvali Abdullayev made only six films altogether. The theatre had more appeal for him because of its contact with the audience. That was why he said: "Unless I can see and feel the audience I don't consider myself an actor." And he had a whole host of partners in the theatre and in films. Special among these was Nasiba Zeynalova. Lutvali loved to improvise during shows. When Nasiba Zeynalova was his partner he knew that she could seize his meaning straightaway. Lutvali would say: My partnership with Nasiba was the best of all because she could pick my cue instantly. No-one else could do that." Nasiba also said that sometimes a situation would arise on stage when one needed to improvise. But the audience never noticed. She said that when touring the regions they always pushed forward Lutvali Abdullayev who was always treated with great honour and respect everywhere.

In recognition of his work and services in 1943 Lutvali was awarded the title of Merited, and in 1960 People's Artiste. He was called the Azerbaijani Charlie Chaplin. It could be said that his fame and the people's love for him increased every day. Although he was getting on in years, Abdullayev was still a bachelor. He fell in love with Sevda Pepinova, a German language expert. They met in 1943 during the tough years of the war. In a canteen near the Theatre of Musical Comedy the actors received special ration coupons. Lutfali received such a coupon. It was here that he met Sevda who used the coupon of her mother, Xursid Agayeva, the first female music critic in Azerbaijan and a Merited Artiste. Lutvali once invited her to the premiere of the show "Urakacanlar". After several months of their secret meetings Lutvali sent matchmakers to her.

The pain of love

Sevda's grandfather - Hasan bay Agayev - was speaker of the parliament of the Azerbaijani Democratic Republic, and her father - Ahmad bay Pepinov - first Labour Minister of Azerbaijan. The well-known publicist and public figure, Omar Faiq Nemanzada, happened to be his maternal uncle. They were all true patriots of their people and dreamt of the day when it would be independent. That is precisely why Soviet power persecuted and destroyed them. Sevda remained in the care of her grandmother Xadica. This aristocratic woman was angry about the marriage proposal of this simple lad to her granddaughter. But her refusal did not break Lutfali and he continued to send matchmakers to her. However, each time they returned with nothing. That went on for five years. Sevda turned down Lutvali's proposal to elope with him - she could not disobey her grandmother who had done so much for her. And then Sevda married General Hacimurad Ibrahimbayli. This was a time when the Theatre of Musical Comedy was temporarily closed and Lutvali was working at the National Drama Theatre. After this Lutvali began dating a woman who was working in the theatre buffet. They had a son, Turqut. But Sevda and Lutfali could not be happy apart. Sevda Pepinova's family life did not work out and within four months she had returned to her grandmother. It was now 1957. Quite a long time had passed since their last meeting when Lutvali's heart took him to the Foreign Languages Institute where Sevda, whom he had never forgotten for an instant, was working…

They suffered a great deal for their love. They were apart for a whole 13 years. Finally fate smiled on them. Xadica gave her blessing to their marriage. They had two little girls - Xursid and Gulnara. Lutvali was very happy in marriage. He had a loving wife and two lovely daughters. The celebrated performer of comic roles was a serious and demanding head of the family. Convinced of his solicitude and love for his family, Xadica admitted in the last days of her life: "I made a big mistake not getting to know Lutvali in time."

Lutvali Abdullayev tried to help and support everyone the best he could. He loved to have visitors to his home. He had many friends and he won them over with his wisdom, intelligence, interesting conversation and jokes. Among his friends were many famous people of the art world. But few knew about the illness of this hedonistic, industrious man. When he was found to have sugar diabetes, the doctor advised him to diet. The actor asked: "Are you saying I'm not going to die?" Then he himself answered: "If I'm going to die anyway, I might as well die on a full stomach."

On that day when, at the start of the first night he complained of a pain in his heart, at first everyone thought it was a sign of sugar diabetes. They called an ambulance. Samsi Badalbayli called Moscow. He had to be taken by plane to the Kremlin hospital. However, this time the cause of the pain was not the heart, and not diabetes. He had had a brain haemorrhage. Unfortunately, the doctors realized this too late…

Lutvali Abdullayev died on 9 December 1973 at the age of 59. He considered that day to be the most beautiful day of his life and he had always looked forward to it, because it was on that day that they celebrated the birthday of his beloved Sevda… She survived him by 30 years. But she was unable to come to terms with the loss of her Lutvali and mourned him until the last days of her life.