A graduate of
Uzbekistan State Institute of Arts and Culture, Sitora Farmonova has appeared in several films by
Uzbek,
Kazakh, and
Kyrgyz filmmakers. She rose to prominence within the Uzbek film industry with her roles in several popular Uzbek comedy films, such as
Xavfli burilish (
A Dangerous Turn) (2004),
Mening akam boʻydoq! (
My Brother is a Bachelor!) (2011), and
Endi dadam boʻydoq? (
Now My Father is a Bachelor?) (2013). Farmonova achieved some international recognition after acting in the 2011 film ''
directed by Veit Helmer. She is the first Uzbek actress to star in a movie produced by a German filmmaker. In Baikonur'', Farmonova portrays Nazira, a resident of a small village near the
Baikonur space station in
Kazakhstan who falls in love with the main character Iskandar, a young Kazakh ham radio operator and space fanatic calling himself Gagarin after the
Soviet cosmonaut. Farmonova also appeared in the 2013 TV series
Общага (
The Dorm) that was shot in
Kyrgyzstan. The series received positive reviews and Farmonova gained notability in Kyrgyzstan. Farmonova has also launched a successful singing career. She achieved notability in
Uzbekistan with her debut single "Bahor-kuz" ("Spring-Fall"), a duet with the Uzbek singer Mirjamol. The song received positive reviews from both fans and critics upon its release. Her duet song with the Kyrgyz singer
Mirbek Atabekov "Эки журок/Ikki yurak" ("Two Hearts") was among the songs included in the soundtrack for the TV series
Общага (
The Dorm). Since 2015 Farmonova has been participating in
KVN, a
Russian humor TV show and competition, as a member of the
Bishkek-based team Азия MIX (Asia MIX). Азия MIX is an international team with members from
Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan,
Tajikistan, and
Uzbekistan.
2016 controversy In July 2016, Farmonova faced criticism for "making fun of the Uzbek people" during one of the episodes of the Russian show in
Saint Petersburg. This led to the suspension of Farmonova's license by Uzbeknavo, Uzbekistan's government agency that issues licenses to performers. == Discography ==