Hollywood movies and American television are replete with extraordinary talent from all over the world. Actors from diverse origins need the appropriate opportunities to showcase themselves internationally, and both cinema and television for several years now have been trying to be more inclusive.
Several actors from India have been part of celebrated movies and shows that come out of Hollywood. From renowned Indian actors such as Irrfan, Om Puri and Nasiruddin Shah, to younger actors such as Kal Penn, there is no dearth of talent when it comes to brilliant talent out of India.
Suraj Sharma
An upcoming young actor of Indian origin trying to make it big in Hollywood is Suraj Sharma. Fans will recall Sharma as the rustic young man who played young Pi in the cinematically magnificent Life Of Pi.
After his tremendous debut, Sharma has been appearing in shows such as Showtime's Homeland and he is well on his way to what every fan hopes will be a prolific career indeed.
Amitabh Bachchan
Bollywood superstar of yesteryear and still very active and beloved today, Amitabh Bachchan has also had his share of roles in Hollywood projects, although perhaps not as much as his fans would prefer.
Bachchan starred in the Leonardo DiCaprio and Toby McGuire starring movie, The Great Gatsby, an adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel. In it, he played the flamboyant gambler, Meyer Wolfsheim, who crossed paths with Gatsby and became his business partner.
Shabana Azmi
Yet another top Indian actor, Shabana Azmi has been part of Hollywood projects, such as Midnight's Children, which was an adaptation of Salman Rushdie's acclaimed novel of the same name, and The Reluctant Fundamentalist, alongside Riz Ahmed.
Azmi is a respected actress in India, having worked with some of the most renowned filmmakers in the country. She is known for portraying intensely realistic roles, largely in off-beat cinema, and has an impressive repertoire of movies in her decades-long career.
Anupam Kher
Veteran Indian actor Anupam Kher has appeared in a few Hollywood projects, such as the Academy Award-winning Silver Linings Playbook and Midnight's Children.
Kher also appeared in Hotel Mumbai, based on the true events of the horrific 26/11 attacks in Mumbai when terrorists took over several key spots in India's financial capital, including the celebrated Taj Mahal hotel. In the movie, Kher played the head chef who decides not to escape the hotel when the window of opportunity presents itself and stays back to help the guests who are still trapped inside. He also appeared in the Gurinder Chadha movies, Bend It Like Beckham and Bride & Prejudice.
Aishwarya Rai
The lovely Aishwarya Rai was one of the first of her generation of Indian actors to have crossed over to Western projects, with lead roles in movies like Gurinder Chadha's Bride & Prejudice, Provoked, The Last Legion with Colin Firth and Ben Kingsley, and as the femme fatale in the comedy-drama, The Pink Panther 2.
Rai is touted as one of the most beautiful actresses in commercial Indian cinema and has, for years, been on the jury for the Cannes Film Festival.
Ali Fazal
The handsome Ali Fazal is slowly but surely making a mark in Hollywood with his breakout role being with none other than Dame Judy Dench in Stephen Frears' historical drama, Victoria and Abdul.
Fazal will next be seen in Kenneth Brannagh's much-anticipated adaptation of Agatha Christie's best-selling novel, Death On The Nile.
Kunal Nayyar
Kunal Nayyar is a household name to fans of the hit American sitcom The Big Bang Theory. While the actor was born in England and is British, his family returned to India when he was just four years old and he was brought up in New Delhi. Nayyar played the adorable Rajesh Koothrapalli, a shy young astrophysicist suffering from the inability to speak to women and who went on to overcome the issue, although he unfortunately still remained single by the end of the series.
Nayyar then stepped out of his comfort zone and did a chilling turn in the Netflix crime drama Criminal as the manipulative Sandeep Singh, a cold-hearted murderer who eventually gets caught in his own web of lies and deceit. Fans cannot wait to find out what Nayyar has up his sleeve next.
Om Puri
Another veteran Indian actor was Om Puri, known for his roles in Indian arthouse movies. The actor appeared in a number of Hollywood movies, from the Tom Hanks-Julia Roberts starring movie, Charlie Wilson's War, The Hundred-Foot Journey, where he starred alongside Dame Helen Mirren, and the comedy-drama, East Is East.
One of his last appearances before his tragic passing in 2017 was Gurinder Chadha's Viceroy's House.
Irrfan Khan
The Indian actor that found the most acclaim in Hollywood, with an impressive range of roles in a number of high-profile movies, was Irrfan Khan. The beloved actor passed away in April 2020 after a battle with cancer, but not before he had given the world some amazing roles across several different languages.
Irrfan appeared in movies like Mira Nair's The Namesake, Slumdog Millionaire, A Mighty Heart, alongside Angelina Jolie, Inferno with Tom Hanks, and of course, as the adult Pi in Ang Lee's Oscar-winning Life Of Pi.
Priyanka Chopra
Possibly the one actor from India who has found the most popularity in recent years is Priyanka Chopra, who has been making waves in both Western movies and television. Chopra added another feather to her cap recently when she and her husband, Nick Jonas, announced the 93rd Academy Awards nominees for the year 2020.
Chopra got her big break in Western television with the lead role in the cop drama, Quantico. She has appeared in movies like Baywatch, alongside Dwayne Johnson and Zac Effron, A Kid Like Jake, with Claire Danes and Jim Parsons, and has most recently been seen in the Netflix original movie, The White Tiger, which has bagged an Oscar nomination. Chopra will next be seen in the much-anticipated sequel to the phenomenal hit Matrix series.