Born in Tajikistan during the Soviet Union period, Bakhtyar Khudojnazarov worked for Tadjikfilm Studios, TV and radio, as a journalist or assistant director, from 1982 to 1984. He then studied at the Moscow Film Institute (VGIK), in Igor Talankin's class, where he directed two short films ("Shutniki" aka "Jokers" in 1986, "Verish Nje Verish" aka "Believe It Or Not" in 1988) and a documentary ("Sobachija Okhota" aka "Hunting with Dogs" in 1987). In 1991, two years after he graduated, he directed and co-wrote his first feature film Bratan (1991) and won several awards in International film festivals. He eventually directed his second film Kosh ba kosh (1993), co-produced by many different countries (especially Germany since he started to live and work in Berlin in 1993) and for which he collaborated again with Leonid Makhkamov for the scenario. He won a prestigious Silver Lion in Venice for this film.

He benefited from a bigger budget for his next film, Luna Papa (1999), another international co-production, co-written with Georgian filmmaker 'Irakli Kvirikadze' and starring Russian rising star Chulpan Khamatova, German famous actor Moritz Bleibtreu and Tajik actor Ato Mukhamedzhanov (the latter's last movie). Khudojnazarov created a Kusturica-alike poetic atmosphere for which the crew built an entire village in a desert of Central Asia. It became his most internationally famous movie and received numerous awards, including a Nika Award for best director (main Russian national award). The music composed by Daler Nazarov also became an appreciated soundtrack.

He then directed Shik (2003), also an international co-production, from a scenario by Oleg Antonov and with Daler Nazarov for the music again. His next film will be a Russian production, _Tanker Tango (2005)_.