Who played the title hunter in Kurosawa's Dersu Uzala?

Maxim Munzuk played the title hunter, Dersu Uzala, in Kurosawa’s Dersu Uzala.

Munzuk was a Tuvan actor and musician who had helped establish Tuvan regional theatre. His performance as Dersu made him internationally known, even though he had already built a substantial career in theatre and music before appearing in Kurosawa’s film.

The 1975 film was based on Vladimir Arsenyev’s 1923 memoir about expeditions through the Russian Far East. Munzuk’s Dersu is a highly observant Nanai hunter and guide who forms a deep friendship with Arsenyev, played by Yury Solomin. The story contrasts Dersu’s intimate knowledge of the taiga with the expedition’s surveying methods and urban assumptions.

The other options are genuine cast members or associated actors, which makes the question tricky. Vladimir Kremena played Turtygin, while Yury Solomin played Arsenyev. Munzuk’s title role is the film’s emotional center, not simply a supporting hunting character.