Today is the birthday of my stage speech teacher, Honored artist, actor with the 3rd degree “Labor” award, artistic recitation master Azad Shukurov. It’s a very strange feeling, a student interviewing his teacher. A person is in mixed emotions. Take this interview as a small gift on behalf of your students, master.
Publika.az Presents the interview with Azad Shukurov:
– Mr. Azad, when you look at the age of 65, what do the past years look like?
– The past years do not seem clear. There are years that I feel embarrassed about. There are years that I am proud of. I am proud that I lived those years and I lived that way. That is, there is a difference from year to year.
– Let me change the question, well, looking at 65, how does Azad Shukurov want to see the future?
– Frankly, I am not going to change anything about my lifestyle, my life, myself, my thoughts, nothing. I just think that I don’t have the privilege of making any mistakes from now on. Everyone already looks at me as an elder, as an adult, as an example. For example, when you were young, you let go of something (laughs), you do something stupid.
But now they don’t exist, the age is already 65. After that, you have to think that I am already of a certain age, you have to think about all these things. This worries me a little of course. Because nuances such as “you can’t do it this way, you can do it that way” take away some people’s freedom. But in any case, when the creator sends a name to everyone, he sends it thoughtfully. Azad sent my name too. Therefore, nothing can affect my freedom. Each age has its own movement. There are actions that can be done at this age, and there are actions that cannot be done. I think about them… I have a couple of unfinished works, I want to finish them. Because God’s work cannot be known.
– Speaking of work, how many years has Azad Shukurov been working in art and on stage?
– I have been in this art for 48 years.
– Mashallah, it is the life of a brave man.
– Thank you for that. Do you know how it is? If I am not ashamed when I face you, if I do not lower my head, then I have lived normally in this life. It’s not just you, I’m ready to face all my students at every moment, I’m ready to look them straight in the eye. I am ready to hug them and hold them in my bosom like a child, like a friend. It seems to me that I did not live badly. I have never presented anything cheap to my audience. I have always tried to maintain my own level, as opposed to the audience’s level. Always perform at a high level.
– By the way, Mr. Azad, I was your student exactly 20 years ago. It is very rare that a teacher can be loved by all students. I am not saying that you were my teacher. See how many students you are training, may God bless you. I think all your students loved you. You have a strange student-teacher bond. The students treated you like a friend, like a father, and you were very sincere and kind to them. It seems to me that you have not hurt anyone. This is my personal opinion.
– You know, Jamila, if I say that I have not hurt any student during this long period of my teaching career, it would not be true. I hurt and harassed the student. But I never cornered the student. I have always made a certain path for him somewhere so that he can move out. And after he moved out, years passed, he searched and found me. He said that I understand why you hurt me at that time… Now I see the results of your hurting me. That is, all this was not without reason. It made sense. A teacher had to hurt a student to educate him. Therefore, it is possible that any of my students may be a little resentful of me. But after years, when they work in the theater, appear in movies or work on television, they understand that you don’t say that Mr. Azad hurt me because of that. Therefore, I am very comfortable to face and meet with my students all the time.
– I thank you for using this opportunity. If I am working in this field today, you were the biggest reason for all the good words I heard about my speech and speaking style, as my stage speech teacher at the time.
– For God’s sake, Jamila. God gives talent to people. No teacher gives talent. The teacher just gives direction. Go this way. This door is here. This is the window, don’t go. The teacher only directs his student correctly. Thankfully, most of the students who appeared before me were talented. I wish you all success.
– Be there, teacher! Mr. Azad, have you been able to fit in all the roles and images you wanted and desired with these 48 years? Or is such an image still a dream?
– No, no, no! No, a hundred times not! If you put the roles that I want to play under my feet, my head will be in the clouds… I can say that I am a little resentful, I can say that I am broken, I can say that I am hurt… As an actor, I feel like I am separated from the theater. But as a theater person, educator, and audience, I am a person connected to the theater. I go, watch plays, hold discussions. This also affects me at certain points.
–Teacher, I understood that today Azad Shukurov does not work in any theater, is that right?
– I am not in any theater, I am not working. But if there is such an offer from some theater, I will gladly go. Because I feel that power and potential in myself.
– So, today Azad Shukurov is engaged in purely pedagogical activities?
– Yes, purely with pedagogical activity. And I kill the worms in my eyes with artistic recitation. If you can say that…
-Speaking of artistic recitation, today there is a great interest and passion for this field. You have probably felt it too. As a professional in this field, is there any plan or innovation expected?
– If today there is such an interest in the art of artistic recitation in Azerbaijan, I openly admit, for that we should say thanks to the teachers of the Department of “Stage Speech” of the State University of Culture and Arts. If earlier there were literary reciters who could be counted on the fingers, now it is not enough to count. We should say thank you to those who are engaged in that artistic recitation, that they did not let that art die. Artistic recitation is so developed today. Of course, the level of all of them is not the same, but in any case, I am very happy that our art of reading has reached this level.
– Teacher Azad, do you like to celebrate your birthday?
– No. The thing is, I don’t like it. Recently, my friends suggested that we throw you a lavish birthday party. To be honest, I did not agree. There are things that I can’t bring myself to do. I will celebrate my birthday at home with my family and relatives.
– How do you like receiving gifts, Mr. Azad?
– I love it (laughs). What’s better than a gift? If someone says that he doesn’t like receiving gifts, don’t believe him (we laugh). Yesterday, without my knowledge, they gave me a little surprise for my birthday at the theater department of the university. I don’t know anything either. They said that there are students with deficits, Mr. Azad, you should come and take part in their exams. I keep going to the university to ask why these teachers cut the student (we laugh). I go and see that they bought a cake and had a tea party. This was the biggest gift for me.
– What was the most valuable gift you received so far?
– They forgave me my Karabakh. My land was returned to me. They gave me the opportunity to return to my Karabakh. It’s a very, very big gift for me. At the age of 65, I can go to my village and visit my parents’ graves. There is no greater gift than this. This is a great gift given to me by the Azerbaijani army, Azerbaijani soldiers, and the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of Azerbaijan. On the occasion of my 65th anniversary, our head of state awarded me with the 3rd class “Labor” order. What could be a better gift than this?!
– Actor Azad, teacher Azad, art reciter Azad, grandfather Azad, human Azad. Which is closer to you?
– Of course, everyone is close to me… But humanity is at the first level. It is a very important condition. God could have created us in another face and face. But he created us as a human being and left us with a great debt of gratitude. You need to work and justify his trust.
– What do you wish for yourself on your birthday?
-Health. Bless my soul. I still have a lot to do.
– Teacher, I congratulate you on behalf of all your students, I kiss your hands. It’s good that we have a master like you. May you be alive and live long, so that you can realize all your planned works.
– Be there, Jamila. I am grateful. I wish you all happiness.
Jamila Hatamkhanova
#gave #biggest #gift #Azad #Shukurov #age