In recent times, Hollywood has been showing inclusivity on-screen by broadening its horizons and featuring artists from different communities. The portrayal of Indian actors in Hollywood films has evolved significantly in the past few decades. Indian actors have given some great and powerful performances in Hollywood films, portraying everything from heroes to supervillains.
Indian celebrities have been making a global impact. Not just Bollywood, but Indian stars from other film industries are also making their mark on the world stage. That’s why we have curated a list of Indian actors in Hollywood, along with their films and television shows. Read on:
1. Priyanka Chopra
Priyanka Chopra is one of the most successful Bollywood stars to pursue a career in Hollywood. Chopra's big break in Western television came when she bagged the lead role in the cop drama Quantico. She has also appeared in films such as Baywatch, in which she co-starred with Dwayne Johnson and Zac Effron; A Kid Like Jake, alongside Claire Danes and Jim Parsons; and The White Tiger. Chopra was most recently seen in the critically-acclaimed sequel to the phenomenally successful Matrix series.
2. Deepika Padukone
Deepika Padukone made headlines when she was cast in xXx: The Return of Xander Cage (2011), the third instalment of the hit franchise. She co-starred alongside Vin Diesel and her performance was well-received by critics and audiences alike, and the film was a box-office success worldwide. Many people are unaware that Deepika was approached to play the lead in Fast and Furious 7, but she declined because the dates clashed with Shah Rukh Khan's Happy New Year.
3. Irrfan Khan
Irrfan Khan has perhaps gained the most acclaim in Hollywood, with a diverse range of roles in a number of high-profile films. The actor passed away in April 2020 after a long battle with cancer, but not before he had given the world some amazing films in a variety of languages. Irrfan appeared in Mira Nair's The Namesake, Slumdog Millionaire, A Mighty Heart, alongside Angelina Jolie, Inferno along with Tom Hanks, and as the adult Pi in Ang Lee's Oscar-winning Life Of Pi.
4. Aishwarya Rai
Aishwarya Rai was one of the first of her generation of Indian actors to break into Hollywood—starring in films such as Provoked, Gurinder Chadha's Bride & Prejudice, The Last Legion with Colin Firth and Ben Kingsley, and the comedy-dramaThe Pink Panther 2.
5. Anil Kapoor
Anil Kapoor is a household name in India, but his involvement in Hollywood has made him a familiar face around the world. From the popular TV show 24 to Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire, Kapoor is not afraid to try his hand in foreign film ventures.
6. Anupam Kher
With roles in Bend It Like Beckham and Silver Linings Playbook, this Bollywood legend has become a familiar face even to foreign filmgoers who are yet to discover Indian cinema. The eminent actor with an illustrious career was last seen in the much-acclaimed series New Amsterdam alongside Ryan Eggold, Janet Montgomery, and Freema Agyeman.
7. Freida Pinto
Freida Pinto's feature film debut in Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire catapulted her to international stardom. While she has never worked in Bollywood, her Hollywood credits include Woody Allen's You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, and Immortals.
8. Naseeruddin Shah
Naseeruddin Shah, regarded as one of the best actors in the country, has also appeared in a few Hollywood films. His international filmography includes The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, The Great New Wonderful, and Monsoon Wedding, directed by Indian-born American Mira Nair.
9. Om Puri
The late actor has appeared in far more Hollywood films than you can imagine. Gandhi, City Of Joy, Wolf, The Ghost and the Darkness, My Son The Fanatic, East Is East, Charlie Wilson's War, and The Hundred-Foot Journey are some of his most well-known Hollywood films.
10. Gulshan Grover
Gulshan Grover's filmography abroad includes many titles, including The Second Jungle Book, Prisoners of the Sun, Blind Ambition, and My Bollywood Bride. He has been dubbed the "bad man of Bollywood" for his portrayal of a notorious villain in many Bollywood films.