Nurtas Adambay

Nurtas Adambay (born Nurtas Abayevich Adambayev; 14 December 1981) is a Kazakh actor, comedian, and filmmaker. Known previously for his work as a KVN comedian and later for his acting and directing of various comedic projects, most notably Bride Sabina, he is the creator of the Nurtas Production studio.

Life and career Nurtas Adambay was born Nurtas Abayevich Adambayev on 14 December 1981 in Dzhambul. Adambayev used to earn money breakdancing as a child. During these years, he would also visit his grandmother in the village Saudakent, Jambyl Region. Adambay's grandfather was a notable Kazakh historian and poet.

After the success of Nasha Kazasha, Adambay created the Nurtas Production studio, which worked on commercials, comedy shows, TV series, and feature films. The initial successful projects of the studio included Village Escape (2011–2013) and its sequels, as well as KZlandia. After the Bride Sabina trilogy ended, Adambay refused to play any more female characters.

Controversies In 2022, Adambay supported the ban of the Lightyear (2022) premiere in Kazakhstan According to Adambay himself, the petition for the ban gained over 30 thousand votes. He added that seeing homosexual partners kiss would have "broken the psyche" of underage viewers.

Adambay has also voiced his opposition to association football. He claimed that it harms both the player and the viewer, as the shorts worn by the players do not follow proper Islamic clothing laws.

In 2023, he opposed the touring of Russian musician Andrey Makarevich in Kazakhstan because of his support of Israel in the Gaza war. In September of the same year, he also harshly critisied politician Rinat Zaitov for claiming that "80% of all fraud" is done by "those who perform salah", demanding either the latter's proof of the claim or resignation from the Mäjilis.

Legal disputes On 1 August 2024, Adambay announced that the Astana Directorate of Religious Affairs has filed a lawsuit against him because he "quoted translations of the Holy Quran" on his social media. He was accused of violating the law on the Distribution of Religious literature and other materials of Religious content (Article 490 of the Code of Administrative Offenses) and it was noted that he could be fined $393 because of this. The exact reasoning for the lawsuit was Adambay's sharing of religious texts without being a certified representative of any religious organization, which was indeed a punishable offence. However the lawsuit was later moved indefinitely. Dimaş Äljanov, among others, however, did not believe Adambay would face any major repercussions. In 2021, Adambay went through depression because of family issues, but seemed to have recovered by becoming a lot more religious and thus reunited with his family. In 2022, a daughter of his was born.

Political views Political scientist Dimaş Äljanov described Adambay as a person "loyal to the regime".

After personal issues faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, Adambay's political views and personal life shifted closer to conservative Islam. In 2023, when justifying his push to ban Lightyear (2022) in Kazakhstan, Adambay pushed a conspiracy theory that "someone" was trying to influence the Kazakh society to reduce the fertility rates and "traditional values" of the country. He did not specify on who this "someone" is, only making a reference to "the West". After becoming a practicing Muslim, Adambay stated that Kazakhstan would be better off with sharia law, stating that it'd have solved all corruption and domestic abuse issues, additionally criticising journalist Erjan Esimhanov for expressing his atheism. Adambay also commented on his refusal to address any political events in the country, including the 2022 Bloody January, by stating that it is not something that in his area of work.

Legacy In 2012, Forbes featured Adambay in the top 3 list of the most successful and wealthy Kazakh show business celebrities. In 2015, he was awarded the "People's Favorite" award. Open the door, I am Happiness! Откройте дверь — я счастье! Baqyt comedic series

Cocktail for a star Коктейль для звезды Clipmaker comedy Snatch Рывок Commentator film 2011 Village Escape Побег из аула Erbol Äpşuberov (Apshuberov) comedic series

Village Escape 2 Побег из аула-2 Erbol Äpşuberov (Apshuberov) comedic series Kzlandia. Reboot KZландия. Перезагрузка several roles comedic TV series

I am the groom Я — жених Timur comedic film also director Matchmakers Құдалар Jannette Nurlybaeva comedic film also director 2019 Akim Аким Azamat comedic film also director 2022 Bride Sabina 3 Келинка Сабина-3 Bride Sabina comedic film also director