8 Indian Stars Who Made Waves In Hollywood Even Before Deepika & Priyanka

This time next week, there is a good chance that Deepika Padukone will become a star worldwide. xXx: The Return of Xander Cage is releasing in India on Saturday, before anywhere else in the world.

But Deepika isn’t the first Indian star to have crossed over to Hollywood. Only a few months after xXx’s release, Priyanka Chopra will star as the villain in the Baywatch reboot opposite Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron.

Before them however, Hollywood’ familiarity of India stars ranged from Irrfan Khan to Om Puri.

Here, we take a look at some homegrown talent that has gone on to garner acclaim in Hollywood.

Irrfan Khan in The Namesake, The Amazing Spider-Man, Jurassic World, Life of Pi, Inferno

Irrfan is perhaps our biggest acting export. Not only has he starred in acclaimed indies, he has also been a part of some of the biggest blockbusters in history.

Aishwarya Rai in The Pink Panther 2

While the film was totally forgettable, Aishwarya got a chance to work with some legendary actors in this sequel. Steve Martin, Jean Reno, Alfred Molina, Lily Tomlin, Emily Mortimer, John Cleese and Jeremy Irons were just a few.

Amitabh Bachchan in The Great Gatsby

Aishwarya’s father-in-law stole the show in director Baz Luhrmann’s flashy adaptation of F Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel. His scenes with Leonardo DiCaprio, short as they were, were the highlight of the movie.

Naseeruddin Shah in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

Naseeruddin Shah had experience working in international productions, but this adaptation of Alan Moore’s graphic novel was without a doubt the biggest. It was also poorly received - both by fans of the comics and critics.

Anil Kapoor in Slumdog Millionaire

Anil Kapoor took on the role famously turned down by Shah Rukh Khan. The film went on to become a massive success and made Kapoor known face in the west.

Amrish Puri in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

There’s a reason Steven Spielberg still has such immense respect for Amrish Puri. The actor elevated his worse Indiana Jones movie with his terrifying performance as Mola Ram, the fanatical leader of an Indian cult.

Kunal Nayyar in The Big Bang Theory

He might be just a TV star, and not yet a fixture at the movies, but he is a household name. Kunal stars in the biggest sitcom on the air right now, The Big Bang Theory, and is one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood.

Anupam Kher in just about everything

For a while it seemed like Anupam Kher was the only Indian actor working consistently in Hollywood. Even his 500th movie is a Hollywood film with Gerard Butler. But we remember him the most for his roles in Bend it Like Beckham (which technically isn’t a Hollywood film) and the recent Oscar-winning Silver Linings Playbook.