Recently, there has been news of our favourite actor Dhanush working in a Hollywood movie directed by Anthony and Joe Russo of the Avengers fame. There have been many well-known Indian Actors in Hollywood movies who have played pivotal and well-acclaimed roles. From Priyanka Chopra ruling the industry like a queen to Irrfan Khan attaining the status of a well-respected actor in Hollywood, Indians have been doing wonders in America. Mark that we will only talk about Indian actors in this article and not those merely of Indian origin. Let’s have a look at some of the best Indian actors in Hollywood movies who are well-remembered all over the world for their brilliant performances.
1. Irrfan Khan
Irrfan Khan starred in the supporting role of a policeman in the Academy Award-winning movie Slumdog Millionaire. Soon after that, he was offered roles in big-budget Hollywood movies. He was even offered a role in the movie Interstellar which he had to reject to be able to act in The Lunchbox. He has worked in films such as Life of Pi, The Amazing Spider-Man, Inferno, and Jurassic World.
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2. Ali Fazal
After his ground-breaking performance in Victoria and Abdul (starring ace actress Judi Dench), Ali Fazal has got everyone excited about his role in the upcoming movie Death on the Nile which is an adaptation of the famous Agatha Christie novel of the same name.
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3. Anupam Kher
Anupam Kher is well-known for his roles in Hollywood movies such as The Big Sick, Bend It Like Beckham, and Silver Linings Playbook. His characters are well-remembered for the near-perfect execution owing to the many years of acting experience and a history of more than 500 films.
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4. Amitabh Bachchan
Amitabh Bachchan played the role of the Jewish gambler, Meyer Wolfsheim, in the highly acclaimed and celebrated movie The Great Gatsby. In his short but impactful presence in the movie alongside Leonardo DiCaprio, he stole the show.
5. Aishwarya Rai
Former Miss World, Aishwarya Rai, started her career in Hollywood with an Indianised adaptation of Jane Austen’s popular novel Pride and Prejudice- Bride and Prejudice. She has also worked in movies such as The Last Legion, The Mistress of Spices, and The Pink Panther 2.
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6. Anil Kapoor
After his performance in Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire, Anil Kapoor went on to act alongside Tom Cruise in the movie Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol. He was well-received by the international audience. He also had a role in the popular series 24, which was later adapted for the Indian audience with Kapoor in the lead.
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7. Dimple Kapadia
She made her Hollywood debut at the age of 63, that too with a Christopher Nolan movie! Could anyone ask for a better start? She played the role of an arms dealer named Priya Singh in the movie Tenet.
8. Tabu
Tabu has had an illustrious career in Bollywood but she has also made her presence felt in Hollywood. In 2006, Tabu played the lead role in Mira Nair’s The Namesake and 6 years later she had another role in Ang Lee’s Life of Pi.
9. Frieda Pinto
After her performance in Slumdog Millionaire, Pinto went on to work in movies such as Rise of the Planet of Apes, You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger, and Immortals. Her career in Hollywood has been successful so far.
10. Priyanka Chopra
This queen has made a mark for herself in Hollywood. She started with the ABC network show Quantico as the central character, Alex Parish. The show was well-received by the audience. Soon, she was flooded with movie offers. She brilliantly played the role of the villain in the popular movie Baywatch and her subsequent roles in The White Tiger and The Matrix Resurrections.
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11. Om Puri
Om Puri has acted in many international films and started his Hollywood journey with the 1992 movie City of Joy. He has appeared in several Hollywood movies including well-known movies such as City of Joy, The Hundred-Foot Journey, Wolf, Charlie Wilson’s War, etc.
12. Deepika Padukone
The queen of Bollywood made her Hollywood debut with the movie XXX: The Return Of Xander Cage starring Vin Diesel. Soon she’ll be starring in another Hollywood movie, this time a cross-cultural romantic comedy.
13. Suraj Sharma
Suraj Sharma is widely known for his exemplary performance as the eponymous character in Ang Lee’s Life of Pi. He has currently grabbed an important role in the series How I Met Your Father.
14. Naseeruddin Shah
Did you know that Shah was offered an audition for the role of Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter movies after the death of Richard Harris? Did you know that he declined the offer? Poof. He did have a number of good Hollywood movies under his name, including The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and Mira Nair’s Monsoon Wedding.
15. Dev Patel
Dev Patel is one of the most successful Indian actors in Hollywood. He is technically a British actor of Indian descent. After his phenomenal performance in Slumdog Millionaire, Dev Patel got the best of offers. Some of his well-known movies include- The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, The Wedding Guest, and The Man Who Knew Infinity.
Special mention: Amrish Puri, Saeed Jaffrey
Which of these performances did you find the most memorable? Do let us know in the comments section.