A SMILE ON HIS FACE, TEARS IN HIS HEART

It seems that in this world it's easier to make others laugh than it is to laugh yourself. This must be why People's Artist Sayavus Aslan was able to make everyone laugh - except himself. The sadness in the actor's eyes did not disappear even when he made his audiences laugh themselves to tears… His life interested everyone. For many years journalists covered two aspects of Sayavus Aslan's life more than anything else. One was the actor's health and his fight against health problems. Rumours of his death spread many times, only to later be refuted. Sayavus Aslan stayed in his shelter alone with his emotional wounds and the excruciating pain. The cause - years not fully lived, sorrow and trials. His own and those of others…

From theatre to theatre

Sayavus Aslan dreamed of becoming an actor. His parents had other plans for him. He was born on September 5, 1935, in the village of Saray, near Baku. Neither his father nor his mother had attended had attended university. His father, Mammadaga, was a driver, and his mother, Anaxanim, was a homemaker. They dreamed of giving their son an education that would give him a good job and financial security. Sayavus Aslan began his education at School No. 1 in Baku, where he studied for seven years. After finishing seven classes, he was admitted to Baku Railroad Technical Institute. While studying at the technical university, he worked as a conductor's assistant at the Bilacari depot. 

…The first club that he began to attend was one for tar players. At that time Sayavus Aslan was still in his third year of school. He loved playing the instrument. His closest friend at the club was Haciaga Azimov, who also attended another club - one for actors that was led by actor Atamoglan Rzayev. Haciaga Azimov's stories about the club fascinated Sayavus Aslan. His interest in the theatre grew. Once he went with his friend to a rehearsal at the drama club. That day he made a choice - he joined. He was soon given the role of Ocaqqulu in Haqverdiyev's play In the Tree's Shade. 

In the spring of 1948 he began to attend another drama club led by Agadadas Qurbanov at the House of Railroad Workers. Agadadas Qurbanov's boundless love for theatre, his master classes and lively discussions, his sincerity and concern for the club's members all charmed Sayavus Aslan. He attended the club's lessons with immense pleasure. His passion for the theatre seized him entirely and became the object of his desires. In addition to Agadadas Qurbanov's club, in his free time Aslan also attended drama clubs at the House of Culture in the village of Bayil and the House of Medical Workers. 

In February 1949 the Azerbaijani State Theatre of Musical Comedy was, for a number of reasons, shut down. For a time the theatre was a stage group at the Philharmonic. In 1954, on the insistence of Soltan Dadasov, the group began to work as an independent musical collective. In the same year, having already gained experience in several drama clubs, Sayavus Aslan, after going through auditions in front of Alaskar Sarifov and Soltan Dadas, joined the collective's choir. 

In the fall of 1954 Aslan was drafted. His service ended in the fall of 1957, a year after the Theatre of Musical Theatre was reopened. However, after leaving the army Sayavus Aslan went to work at the puppet theatre ensemble of the Muslim Magomayev Azerbaijani State Philharmonic, where he worked on the fairy tale plays Cirtdan and Malikmammad. He did not work in the ensemble for long. In April 1958 he began working at the State Drama Theatre in the city of Quba, where he played many interesting roles.

His mentor

In 1959 Aslan returned to Baku and was accepted into the acting troupe of the Theatre of Musical Comedy. There his fellow thespians were such renowned masters as Lutvali Abdullayev, Alihuseyn Qafarli, Minavvar Kalyantarli, Nasiba Zeynalova, Basir Safaroglu, Ibrahim Sunasi (Huseynov). Lutvali Abdul-layev showed a special paternal interest in Aslan, which the latter could always sense. The already venerable actor not only gave up roles so Aslan could take them on, but also helped him prepare for them. 

Sayavus Aslan became well-known and well-loved. He was, however, still looking for his place in his chosen art. Having already made his first steps on the stage, Sayavus Aslan was especially enthralled by the delivery of Lutvali Abdullayev. Aslan fell in love with his mastery and talent, which had a strong influence on his own work. Others noticed this, and Sayavus Aslan came to be called "little Lutvali Abdullayev." He realized on his own that he was not to copy his idol's manner blindly, but instead should pick his own style and delivery. Otherwise, no matter how interesting his roles might be, he would not be able to get out of Lutvali Abdullayev's shadow. Acting prowess, hard work, and love for his own work gave the young actor strength. He diligently worked on himself. His talent and dedication were noted by directors. Sayavus Aslan was given new roles. Now he worked with even greater diligence, intensively rehearsing and striving to show his own unique acting style on the stage. And in the end he got what he wanted. Thanks to the roles he performed on the stage of the Theatre of Musical Comedy, his name went down in the history of Azerbaijani theatre as an incomparably unique actor. 

He spent many years at the theatre, and with time become one of its top three actors. Roles like Bayram in The Sounds of Our Village ("Kandimizin sasi"), Ibisov in We Are to Ourselves "Ozumuz bilarik"), Firuzbala in Pari was One of Our Six Girls ("Alti qizin biri Pari idi"), Subay in Ulduz, Dadasbala in Hicran, Qamzali in The Stolen Girl (Qacirilmis qiz), Misir Nasir in The Devil Take It (Lanat sana, kor seytan), Orduxan in Young at Fifty (50 Yasinda Cavan) and many others brought him tremendous fame. In 1974 Sayavus Aslan was awarded the title of Distinguished Artist of the Azerbaijani Soviet Socialist Republic, and in 1982 the title of People's Artist.

Talented and unique

Renowned actor Malik Dadasov, having proven himself as a director at the National Academic Theatre of Drama and now preparing to stage Sabit Rahman's comedy Nisanli Qiz, invited Sayavus Aslan to audition for the role of Mindilli. The staging was successful. On October 5, 1984, he joined the theatre as an actor. Though he was appointed artistic director of the Theatre of Musical Comedy on February 4, 1994, for some time he continued to accept roles from the Academic Theatre of Drama, as well as perform in plays from his own repertoire. In 1996 he resigned from the post of artistic director. Aslan returned to the Theatre of Drama, where he performed many radically different and compelling roles - Mindilli (The Engaged Girl), Agali (Guilt - Qunah), Faris (Our Surprising Fate - Bizim qariba taleyimiz), Cabbar (Lovers in Hell - Sevgililarin Cahannamda Vusali), Agamusa Faracev (The Insane and the Brilliant - Dalilar va agillilar, Vanya Koxa (The Ruler and His Daughter - Hokmdar va Qizi), Qarib Qulam (The World Without Me - Mansiz Dunya, Asadulla (Ah Paris…Paris!), head editor (My Favourite Madman - Manim Sevimli Dalim), Luka (Rock Bottom), Romul Avqustul (The Great Romul), and many others. 

Sayavus Aslan was beloved as an actor of both film and theatre. Audiences first saw him in 1963, in the role of Samed in the film My Neighbour Romeo. With the years the number of film roles he performed grew steadily - Saqal Ramiz (Where is Ahmed?), Subay (Ulduz), the middle genie (Azabli Yollarla), the building supervisor Qurban (Road Story - Yol Hadisasi), Samsi (Fallen Summer Leaves - Yay Qunlarinin Hazan Yarpaqlari), Haci Hasan aqa (A Greeting from the World Beyond - O Dunyadan Salam), Haci Kamayib (I Want to Get Married - Evlanmak Istayiram/ Papaq), Haci Qara (Frugal), Karapet (Window of Grief - Qam Pancarasi), police chief Faracev (Sleep - Yuxu). These and many other roles proved that Sayavus Aslan was a talented and unique actor in film as well.

Sayavus Aslan played many interesting roles in satirical scenes and TV specials on Azerbaijani state television. Today viewers gladly watch with rapt attention television programming from the classics of Azerbaijani State Television and Radio - such often-shown productions as Evlari Kondalan Yar (Bazarkom), Anecdotes from the Provinces (Ayalat Latifalari - Galoshin), The Magic Chair (Mak Blaf), and many others.

The renowned actor always gave young actors advice. However, he never taught formally, rejecting numerous offers from the University of Culture and the Arts.

Rumours

…As with any celebrity, there were many rumours about him. Some of them were about alleged conflict and resentment between Aslan and Nasiba Zeynalova and Hacibaba Bagirov, with whom he worked side-by-side on the stage for many years. All three of them were great thespians. Any performance or film with their participation was memorable and drew in audiences. Theatre-goers can still recall the trio's wonderful performance's in Sabit Rahman's Hicran. However, they say that even when they were on stage the actors were still at odds. Another memorable role from the same production was performed by Sayavus Aslan's wife, actress Ofelia Aslan. At the time they had not yet divorced. Jealousy and rumours destroyed Sayavus Aslan's family, which had once been built on profound love. This was the second topic that never stopped being discussed, even until Sayavus Aslan's death. Nothing - not their happy days spent together, not their sons Eldar and Cingiz, not the fear of a lonely old age - could break Ofelia Aslan's stubbornness. Ofelia, who loved Sayavus madly, accused him of cheating on her and never forgave him. After that they lived in the same apartment for many years. Ofelia Aslan also accused her husband of putting her away in a psychiatric hospital. She said that she had received a special extrasensory gift, but Sayavus did not understand; under the cover of a meeting with professors, he took her away to a psychiatric hospital. She was released eleven years later. Living in the same apartment, they sometimes even shared each other's concerns and supported one another. No matter how strong their love, Ofelia Aslan could not get over her own stubbornness to thaw the ice between them. 

Ofelia Aslan died on May 18, 2010, at the age of 71. She was buried Cambarakan cemetery. After his wife's death, Sayavus Aslan's loneliness grew deeper. His eyes now looked even sadder. Several diseases struck him at once. He loved to walk at the Primorsky National Park, but soon stopped going even there. His apartment became his hiding place. He wanly reminisced about those who buried him alive. He did not complain. When asked, he answered that: "Everyone visits me."

Sayavus Aslan died on June 27, 2013, at the age of 78. Two days before his death he was awarded the Order of Saraf. He left this world in peace. He knew that he was a great master of his art, that he would always be loved and remembered for his roles in theatre, film, and television…