[1][2][3] Chulpan Nailevna Khamatova was born on 1 October 1975 in Kazan, Tatar ASSR, in what was then the Soviet Union.

[4] As a child, she was engaged in figure skating and from the eighth grade studied at the mathematical school of the Kazan Federal University.

Teachers Juno Kareva and Vadim Keshner, assessing the prospects of the beginning actress, advised and helped Khamatova continue her studies in Moscow, and she entered Russian Institute of Theatre Arts, the course of Alexei Borodin.

[5][6] In cinema, Khamatova started acting during the third year of GITIS – Vadim Abdrashitov invited her for the role of Katya in the film Time of a Dancer (1997).

[1][2] Other notable films with Khamatova's participation include Bakhtyar Khudojnazarov's picture Luna Papa (1999),[7] 72 Meters (2004) and The Fall of the Empire (2005) by Vladimir Khotinenko, Children of the Arbat (2004) by Andrei Eshpai and Garpastum (2005) by Aleksei German Jr. She is best known internationally for starring in Good Bye, Lenin!

In 2005, she and Dina Korzun organized the concert "Give me life" at the stage of Sovremennik Theatre to help children with hematological diseases.

In 2006, Khamatova became a co-founder of the Podari Zhizn ("Make the gift of Life") charity foundation which helps children suffering from oncological and hematological diseases.

One of the permanent sponsors of the fund is Armen Sargsyan[11][12][13] In 2012, Khamatova publicly supported Russian president Vladimir Putin during the presidential election campaign.

[18] In February 2022, Khamatova was one of signatories of the petition started by Mikhail Zygar to protest the Russian invasion of Ukraine.