The recent announcement by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce about the 2025 Walk of Fame inductees sparked widespread celebration in India as Deepika Padukone’s name made it to the coveted list. Best known internationally for her role in XXX: Return of Xander Cage, Deepika’s inclusion was hailed as a proud moment, with many hurrying to label her the “first Indian” to receive the honour.
But the truth is, that distinction belongs to another name—one that has all but faded from Indian collective memory. The year was 1960. Hollywood was in its golden age, and among that year’s Walk of Fame inductees was Sabu Dastagir, an Indian actor whose career in Hollywood predated many modern-day stars by decades.
Born in 1924 in Mysore to a mahout (elephant trainer), Sabu’s life changed dramatically when American filmmaker Robert Flaherty cast him in the 1937 British adventure film Elephant Boy, inspired by Kipling’s Toomai of the Elephants. His natural charisma and screen presence soon landed him roles in a string of fantasy-adventure films, including The Drum (1938) and The Thief of Bagdad (1940), where he starred as the lovable Abu—a performance that turned him into a sensation.
Through the 1940s, Sabu carved a niche for himself in Hollywood, starring in hits like Jungle Book (1942), Arabian Nights (1942), and Cobra Woman (1944). At a time when non-white actors were rarely given lead roles, Sabu stood out—his face graced billboards, and he was a household name in the West.
In 1944, he became a U.S. citizen and even served in the U.S. Army during World War II. But post-war, his career struggled to maintain the same momentum. The roles became scarce, and his stardom slowly waned. In a bittersweet twist of fate, Sabu was reportedly considered for the lead in Mother India (1957), but visa hurdles stood in the way. He never worked in an Indian film and passed away in 1963 at just 39 years old.
While his name may have slipped through the cracks of Indian pop culture, Sabu Dastagir was undeniably the first Indian star in Hollywood—a pathbreaker who earned his place on the Walk of Fame long before India had a global film presence.
In the decades that followed, Indian actors like Kabir Bedi, Om Puri, and Amrish Puri made occasional appearances in Western films. Still, it wasn’t until the arrival of Aishwarya Rai, Irrfan Khan, and Priyanka Chopra that Indian actors began securing lead roles in Hollywood productions again.
Now, as Deepika Padukone prepares to receive her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, it’s worth remembering that she’s not the first Indian to be celebrated there. That honour belongs to a young boy from Mysore who once ruled the golden age of fantasy cinema in the West—Sabu, India’s original global star.
