16 Bollywood Actors Who Acted In International Films And Won
16 May 2017
Priyanka Chopra has legit established herself as an international star now. Soon after we found out about Priyanka's Hollywood debut, we got to know that Deepika Padukone is also following suit. The reason these two stars have caused so much hysteria with their Hollywood debuts is because they've both enjoyed staggering success in Bollywood too. Now, they seem to be well on their path to recreate that magic in the West.
But, long before these two ladies made it seem like launching a Hollywood career is as easy as demolishing a chocolate cake within minutes, there were other Indian actors who had acted in several international films. Some gave memorable performances, while the rest (read: Mallika Sherawat) just made us go WTF. Without further ado, let's take a look at who came before these two bawse women.
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
Some of the films she appeared in: Bride & Prejudice, The Mistress of Spices, Provoked, The Last Legion, The Pink Panther 2
Even though her international ventures created a lot of stir in India, they failed to launch her career in Hollywood the way people had expected.
Om Puri
Some of the films he appeared in: City of Joy, East is East, West Is West, The Ghost and the Darkness, Wolf, My Son the Fanatic, Such a Long Journey, The Mystic Masseur, The Parole Officer, Code 46, Charlie Wilson's War, The Hundred-Foot Journey, A Million Rivers, Viceroy's House
T.V shows he has appeared in: White Teeth, The Jewel in the Crown
He will always be regarded as one of the finest actors to come out of the Hindi film industry.
He acted in countless films, including regional cinema. In addition, he had an illustrious filmography abroad, which earned him critical acclaim as well.
Naseeruddin Shah
Some of the films he appeared in: Such a Long Journey, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Today's Special, Mango Dreams, The Great New Wonderful, Monsoon Wedding
He has appeared in several international productions, including many crossover films. He even rejected the role of Dumbledore because he wasn't too keen on auditioning for it!
Irrfan Khan
Some of the films he appeared in: The Warrior, A Mighty Heart, The Namesake, The Darjeeling Limited, Partition, Slumdog Millionaire, New York, I Love You, The Amazing Spider-Man, Life of Pi, Jurassic World, The Jungle Book, Inferno
So what if the world took notice of him only after Life of Pi and Jurassic World? Irrfan has been killing it with his acting chops, at home as well as internationally!
Lisa Ray
Some of the films she appeared in: Water, I Can't Think Straight, Kill Kill Faster Faster, Bollywood/Hollywood
We didn't really get to see much of Lisa Ray in Bollywood, thanks to the disaster Bollywood debut Kasoor. But, if you watch some of her international ventures you'll appreciate her on-screen charms just like we do!
Saeed Jaffrey
Some of the films he appeared in: The Horsemen, The Wilby Conspiracy, The Man Who Would Be King, Death on the Nile, A Passage to India, Bunker Hill, Everywhere and Nowhere
This veteran actor will always be remembered for his stellar performances in iconic Indian films like Chashme Buddoor¸ Shatranj Ke Khiladi, and Mandi. But, he starred in innumerable international productions as well.
Tabu
Some of the films she appeared in: The Namesake, Life of Pi
Tabu is a stellar performer, and she has proven her skills in regional cinema as well as Bollywood. It was, therefore, not a surprise that she wowed us in her international projects as well.
Amrish Puri
Film he appeared in: Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Amrish Puri is a legendary actor, and we (mostly) fondly remember him as the man who played the negative roles like a pro. He is our Mogambo, and to the world he is the evil high priest, Mola Ram, from Steven Spielberg's Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.
Amitabh Bachchan
Film he appeared in: The Great Gatsby
In 2013, Big B made his international debut with a special appearance in Baz Luhrmann's film adaptation of the classic, The Great Gatsby. He played the role of a Jewish gambler, Meyer Wolfsheim.
Anupam Kher
Some of the films he appeared in: Lust, Caution, Bend It Like Beckham, Silver Linings Playbook, The Mistress of Spices, You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger
Apart from having a varied filmography in Indian cinema, Anupam Kher has worked with some of the most renowned international directors, including Ang Lee, David O. Russell, and Gurinder Chadha.
Kabir Bedi
Some of the films he appeared in: Octopussy, Beyond Justice, The Black Corsair
T.V shows he has appeared in: Sandokan, Dynasty
Thanks to his European features, Kabir Bedi, actually got to star in some films and T.V shows in lead character roles. He was popular in India as well as the international market because of his diverse filmography.
Anil Kapoor
Film he appeared in: Slumdog Millionaire
T.V show he appeared in: 24
Our very own tapori, Anil Kapoor gained international recognition with Danny Boyle's Oscar award winning, Slumdog Millionaire. He went onto star on hit T.V series 24 after this, and received rave reviews for his performance.
Persis Khambatta
Some of the films she appeared in: Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Nighthawks, Megaforce, Warrior of the Lost World, The Wilby Conspiracy, Phoenix the Warrior
Despite the fact that Persis' Bollywood career never took off, she is remembered for her iconic role of Lieutenant Ilia in Star Trek: The Motion Picture. It wasn't Priyanka Chopra, but Persis who became the first Indian to present an award at the Oscars.
Mallika Sherawat
Some of the films she appeared in: The Myth, Hisss, Time Raiders
Films like Murder and Pyaar Ke Side Effects, established the fact that Sherawat can act and might just go on to have an long-lasting career in Bollywood. But, that was before she sank her career like an old, rusty ship by trying too hard to succeed in Hollywood.
Nawazuddin Siddiqui
Film he appeared in: Lion
Not many might know this, but Nawauddin had a role in the celebrated 2016 biographical film Lion, starring Dev Patel, Rooney Mara, Sunny Pawar, and Nicole Kidman.
Nargis Fakhri
Film she appeared in: Spy
This Queens, New York-born Czech-Pakistani actress made her Bollywood debut with Imtiaz Ali's Rockstar only six years ago. She had a brief role as the baddie in Melissa McCarthy-starrer super hit action comedy film, Spy.
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