Bollywood diva Deepika Padukone is making headlines after being named among the 2025 inductees for the prestigious Hollywood Walk of Fame. However, contrary to popular belief, she is not the first Indian to receive this honour.
Deepika Padukone, known internationally for her role in XXX: The Return of Xander Cage, has been selected by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce's selection committee to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2025. Media reports initially claimed that Deepika would be the first Indian artist to be inducted. However, the distinction of being the first Indian recipient of this honour actually belongs to a teenage actor from the 20th century — Sabu Dastgir.
Sabu Dastgir, born in Mysore in 1920, was the first and, for a long time, the only Indian to be inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He received this recognition in 1960, during Hollywood's Golden Age. Despite limited fame in his home country, Sabu was a prominent figure in American cinema, especially in fantasy and adventure genres before World War II.
Coming from a family of mahouts (elephant trainers), Sabu's journey to Hollywood was cinematic in itself. His talent was discovered by American filmmaker Robert Flaherty, who cast him in the 1937 film Elephant Boy, based on Rudyard Kipling’s stories. Sabu then went on to appear in The Drum (1938) and gained major popularity with his role as Abu in The Thief of Baghdad (1940).
Throughout the 1940s, he continued to charm audiences with performances in blockbuster films like Jungle Book, Arabian Nights, White Savage, and Cobra Woman. Despite his young age, Sabu quickly became one of the most bankable stars in Hollywood’s fantasy and action categories.
While Deepika Padukone’s upcoming star on the Walk of Fame is a proud moment for Indian cinema, it's important to remember that the trail was first blazed by Sabu Dastgir — a lesser-known but pioneering Indian actor who left a lasting legacy in Hollywood.