Otabek Mahkamov

Otabek Mahkamov (born September 5, 1984, in Fergana or Tashkent) is an Uzbek film actor and lawyer. Mahkamov has gained attention for his supporting roles in several Uzbek films. Mahkamov usually plays negative roles. He has also appeared in several music videos for Uzbek singers, including the video for Ozodbek Nazarbekov's song "Love Me Stronger."

Mahkamov played his first role in the 2010 film "Wolves 3: The Last Debt" as a criminal investigation officer. The actor gained attention in Uzbekistan after playing the role of an investigator in the film "Majruh." Other notable films featuring Mahkamov include "I Am a Star" (2012), "The Witch" (2012), "He Burns and Scorchers" (2012), and "Fotima" (2013).

In 2015, it was revealed that Mahkamov had been providing various and false information about his birthplace, education, and abilities. The first article about this was published in January 2015 on the literature website "Ijodkor," based in Osh. A month later, the website Sayyod published a short article about Mahkamov consistently giving false information about himself to Uzbek journalists. The article did not explicitly criticize Mahkamov, but it was stated that a full version would be published later.

Mahkamov denied the accusations in an interview with "Bekajon" newspaper. However, he refused to explain the contradictory information he had given to journalists about himself, limiting himself to saying, "There is no basis... to the rumors you are talking about!"

According to newspapers published in Uzbekistan, Mahkamov has a higher education in law and works in that field. According to information distributed in newspapers and magazines, he currently teaches at the National Association of Accountants and Auditors of Uzbekistan.

Mahkamov also interviews celebrities and publishes them in various newspapers and magazines. To date, he has published interviews he conducted with Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Frédéric Diefenthal, Armand Assante, Ennio Morricone, and Mithun Chakraborty.

Mahkamov's claims about his education

According to Uzbek newspapers and magazines, Mahkamov studied at the "Central European University of Law" in Budapest. In some interviews, Mahkamov specifically called this university the "Central European Legal University under the UN." In another article, Mahkamov is described as a "Doctor of Juridical Sciences in International Private Law from the European Academy of Law Enforcement Agencies." In reality, there is no university with this name in Budapest or elsewhere. When asked if he perhaps meant the Central European University, the actor replied, "So that's the one." However, university staff officially stated that no person named Otabek Mahkamov had studied there.

In some interviews, Mahkamov claimed to have graduated with a PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) from the non-existent "Central European University of Law." In another interview, he claimed to have received his PhD in 2005. Considering that Mahkamov was 21 years old at the time and had only graduated from school four years prior, this claim was also said to be false.

In some interviews, Mahkamov said he simply received professional development at the "European University." In another, he claimed to have studied at the "Central European Legal University" for a bachelor's degree, and then did a master's degree in the USA, but he did not disclose exactly when or where.

Mahkamov's claims about his translation ability

Mahkamov regularly asserts that he knows English perfectly and that English has become his native language. This claim by Mahkamov has also been criticized. In particular, he was criticized for both mistranslating and mispronouncing in films, including "He Burns and Scorchers" and "Alien Bride 2 or Love in Andijan." In one of his interviews, Mahkamov mentioned that he dubbed himself in English in the films he participated in.