AMusical workIndependent states
Arshin Mal Alan
Uzeyir Hajibeyli's 1913 musical comedy, staged in dozens of countries; its 1945 film became a classic.
The operetta Arshin Mal Alan tells of a young merchant, Asgar, who disguises himself as a travelling cloth-seller to see the girl he loves. It gently mocked the custom of marrying off girls unseen.
It premiered in Baku in October 1913 and soon became famous throughout the East and then in Europe and America; it has been translated into dozens of languages.
In 1945 Rza Tahmasib and Nikolai Leshchenko filmed it with Rashid Behbudov as Asgar. The film won the USSR State Prize and is still loved today.
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Updated: October 1, 2026