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Who is first Indian actor to act in Hollywood? Meet Sabu Dastagir who earned Hollywood Walk of Fame star 65 years ago
65 years ago, Sabu Dastagir, a boy from Mysore went on to be the first Indian to become a Hollywood sensation and even earn the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
It is not every day that we get to celebrate news as big as Deepika Padukone getting a star on the iconic Hollywood Walk of Fame. Recently, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce’s selection panel announced the list of 2025 inductees in the prestigious Walk of Fame, and it included the name of the Tamasha actress. But there was yet another Indian, almost 65 years ago, who became the first Indian to achieve this. He was Sabu Dastagir, a Mysore-born boy who went on to become a Hollywood sensation.
About Sabu Dastagir
Not 2025, but it was in 1960, that the class of the Hollywood Walk of Fame had an Indian name for the first time. Not many must have heard about Sabu Dastagir, but let us tell you that he was a sensation in Hollywood before World War 2. He was born in Mysore in 1924 to an elephant mahout. An American filmmaker, Robert Flaherty, spotted him and chose him for the 1937 film Elephant Boy. This film was based on Rudyard Kipling’s book with the same name.
In 1938, after Sabu’s yet another Hollywood film, The Drum released, he moved there. After his stint as Abu in the 1940 film The Thief of Bagdad, Dastagir became a star. After this, he also starred in films like Mowgli, Arabian Nights, White Savage and Cobra Woman. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that he had made a mark for himself in Hollywood at a very young age. He was one of the most popular non-white actors who were a part of major hit films.
Sabu Dastagir’s Journey In The Army
After becoming a household name in Hollywood and becoming an American citizen, the actor joined the US Army in 1944. He even fought World War 2, which marked the end of his acting career. He no longer got acting roles, and in the 50s, Sabu appeared in mostly unsuccessful European films.
Did Sabu Dastagir Work in Bollywood?
Not many know that he was Mehboob Khan’s first choice for Nargis Dutt's Mother India. Unfortunately, as he did not get the work permit and the role went to Sunil Dutt. This could have been his gateway to Bollywood, but he could never work here, as in 1963, he suffered a heart attack and passed away when he was only 39.
