The appeal of Hollywood is simply magnetic! Be it fans or actors around the world, they are either obsessed with their favorite stars and movies or cherish the desire to be part of a Hollywood project. The Indian Film Industry is a giant pool of talent and an industry that makes over a 1000 movies per year in different languages is bound to catch the eye of the western filmmakers. An exotic face with a particular nuance towards acting is attached to encapsulate audiences, and perhaps there lies the global appeal of Indian actors. From Shashi Kapoor to the latest import from the east, Priyanka Chopra; Hollywood has been the dream destination of many Indian artists and here is a list of those that managed to leave a mark:
1) Priyanka Chopra: Let’s start with the Quantico star herself, she tested the international waters with her music video and collaborating with the likes of Pitbull but steadily the star got a strong foothold, and before we knew it she had become a familiar face in the USA. Her recent flick Baywatch may have tanked, but that is not going to deter the former beauty queen from making a niche in Hollywood.
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2) Irrfan Khan: The powerhouse of acting has been a part of so many foreign movies that we have lost count. Be it The Namesake, A Mighty Heart, Slumdog Millionaire, New York, I love you, Inferno and Jurassic World; the star worked with the best and often outshined them. He is currently filming for Puzzle, directed by Marc Turtletaub.
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3) Om Puri: The late actor had given numerous phenomenal performances in Indian movies and had a knack for infusing life in every role be it Bollywood or Hollywood. The actor was part of films such as The Hundred-Foot Journey, East is East, City of Joy, Wolf and Charlie Wilson’s War.
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4) Naseeruddin Shah: His acting skills are unmatchable whatsoever and have won him the prestigious Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan. The actor has been part of several Hollywood movies such as The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and The Great New Wonderful.
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5) Shashi Kapoor: The first Indian actor to have ever worked in Hollywood movies, Shashi Kapoor’s first foreign project was under the banner of Merchant-Ivory. He worked in a string of films such as The Householder, Heat and Dust, The Deceivers and more.
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6) Kabir Bedi: The handsome face has had a long association with Hollywood and is quite a recognizable star there. He played quite an important role of a Bond villain in the Roger Moore starrer Octopussy and had played several big and small roles in movies and TV series such as One Life To Live, General Hospital, The Bold and The Beautiful and much more.
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7) Aishwarya Rai: The former beauty queen has been winning hearts all across the globe, and Hollywood has not remained untouched by her magic. She made her debut with Bride and Prejudice, a remake of the classic Pride and Prejudice and then played major roles in The Mistress of Spice, Provoked and Journey Across India.
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8) Anil Kapoor: He has been a part of an Academy Award winning movie Slumdog Millionaire and helped in bringing prestigious Oscars to India. This also paved the way for his career in Hollywood with roles in 24, Mission Impossible-Ghost Protocol, Oasis and also a voiceover for Family Guy.
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9) Deepika Padukone: The gorgeous starlet has been wowing audiences with her movies in Bollywood and giving hits after hits. Her beauty and talent didn’t go unnoticed, and she landed a role with Vin Diesel in xXx Return of Xander Cage.
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10) Amitabh Bachan: The Titan of Indian Film Industry, also known as The Big B made his Hollywood debut with Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby.
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11) Tabu: She is known to be one of the finest actresses of the Indian Film Industry, and her performances in her Hollywood ventures substantiate those claims. She has been a part of some cult Hollywood movies, The Namesake, and Life of Pi.
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12) Nimrat Kaur: Nimrat Kaur, who has been a part of several Indian movies, has also worked in American TV series Homeland for which she garnered good reviews.
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13) Suraj Sharma: The Life of Pi star has been a part of several other Hollywood projects such as Million Dollar Arm, Umrika and TV series Homeland.
14) Roshan Seth: He is quite a well-known face in Hollywood, nd this enormously talented actor has been a part of acclaimed movies such as A Map of the World, Gandhi, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, A Passage to India, Mississippi Masala, Not Without My Daughter and My Beautiful Laundrette.
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15) Ali Fazal: The actor who has been a part of an Indian-American romantic comedy The Other End of the Line and Furious 7 is all set to star opposite none other than Dame Judi Dench in Victoria & Abdul.
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16) Nawazuddin Siddiqui: His name is synonymous with groundbreaking cinema in the Indian Film Industry and soon Hollywood would get a taste of his acting talent as he stars opposite Nicole Kidman in a movie directed by Garth Davis.
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17) Shabana Azmi: The Indian actress has never shied away from doing roles or movies that other actors would hesitate to do, she has dominated parallel cinema and has quite been a part of several foreign movies such as City of Joy, Son of The Pink Panther, The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Waterborne, A Decent Arrangement and many other. She recently did an American Indie comedy-drama film, Signature Move, which garnered a lot of good reviews.
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18) Saeed Jaffery: This India-born British actor has quite a heavy list of Hollywood movies that he had been a part of. The Man Who Would Be King, Gandhi, The Guru and A Passage To India are few of his finest work. This brilliant actor is no more.
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19) Tannishtha Chaterjee: The Parched actress is best known for her British movie Brick Lane and has also worked in quiet a few Hollywood movies including Lion and Anna Karenina.
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20) Sunkrish Bala: This Indian actor is quite a well-known face in the West after his role as Dr. Caleb Subramanian on The Walking Dead. He has also been a part of Castle, Killing Poe, The Thinking, Couch People and did several other short stints in American Television Shows.
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21) Sonam Kapoor: Her father is already a well-recognized face in the west and now the daughter is following in the footsteps of Anil Kapoor. The star is already a recurring face at The Cannes and is always appreciated for her style sense. She also featured in a Coldplay song Hymn For The Weekend.
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22) Huma Qureshi: Now, she may not be quite as popular as her other contemporaries aiming to hit a chord with the western audience, but her acting talent can surely give someone a run for their money. The talented actress is gearing up for her Hollywood release Viceroy's House.
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23) Amrish Puri: He was the most beloved villain in the Indian Film Industry and his intimidating persona and booming voice made him the perfect actor to play Mola Ram in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. His other notable Hollywood project was Gandhi.
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Gandhi: The star cast of Gandhi is a shining example of the global appeal of Indian stars. It featured a huge list of Bollywood actors that are known for their superb acting skills. Om Puri, Roshan Seth, Amrish Puri, Saeed Jaffrey, Rohini Hattangadi, Alok Nath, Pankaj Kapoor and Harsh Nayyar were among some of the Indian actors featured in the movie.
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Irrfan Khan has a class of his own and has done equally well in both the industries. Waiting to see what role Sonam and Huma will be essaying.