This star from the Golden Age of Hollywood was the first Indian actor to succeed in the West, decades before Irrfan Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Aishwarya Rai, or Kabir Bedi.
Over the years, several Indian actors have made their mark in the West. From Persis Khambatta who starred in Star Trek to Irrfan Khan, who appeared in several blockbusters, Hollywood is replete with success stories from India. If you ask a layman who was the first Indian actor to succeed in the West, they would probably name Kabir Bedi or Naseeruddin Shah. While both are good guesses, they are off by a few decades. The first Indian to be a Hollywood star actually thrived in the 1930s.
Sabu Dastagir, the first Indian Hollywood star
In 1937, documentary filmmaker Robert Flaherty was looking for an Indian boy to star in his ambitious film Elephant Boy, which was based on Toomai of the Elephants, a story by Rudyard Kipling. His choice was 13-year-old Sabu Dastagir. Sabu was born in 1924 in the then Kingdom of Mysore and was the son of a mahout. His first film was a success. Following this stint, he appeared in the 1938 film Drum, which was conceptualised by producer Alexander Korda as his launch vehicle in Hollywood. This established the teenage Sabu in America and opened the doors for his fledgling career.
Sabu Dastagir’s success in British films
In 1940, Sabu starred in his most memorable role – Abu in The Thief of Bagdad. The film was a massive hit and Sabu’s screen presence was praised by critics. He went on to star as Mowgli in Zoltan Korda’s The Jungle Book (1942), and had supporting roles in hits like Arabian Nights, White Savage, and Cobra Woman, all of which released between 1942 and 44. He was prominent enough to be given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960.
Sabu Dastagir’s decline and untimely death
In 1944, after he attained US citizenship, Sabu enlisted in the US Army and fought in World War II, where he won a gallantry medal. After 1945, Sabu exclusively worked in Hollywood films but was unable to replicate his success from Britain. He did appear in occasional successes like the 1947 hit Black Narcissus, but his films and roles in the 50s were largely unnoticed. In 1957, Mehboob Khan cast him in the lead role in Mother India, which would have marked his Bollywood debut. However, since he did not get a work permit, the role went to Sunil Dutt. Sabu never worked in a film in India. In 1963, three months after his comeback to Hollywood with A Tiger Walks, he died of a sudden heart attack. He was 39.
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 "Sabu Dastagir was India's first Hollywood star")
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