Not Deepika or Priyanka: This Indian Teen Was First on Hollywood Walk of Fame

Not Deepika or Priyanka: Deepika Padukone is all set to make history as she becomes the first Indian actress to get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. This is a big deal not just for her but for Indian cinema globally. The official announcement will be made in 2026 when a bunch of international celebrities from various fields will be inducted.

The announcement was made live from Ovation Hollywood on July 3, and Billboard confirmed the list of new inductees. Deepika joins the likes of Miley Cyrus, Timothée Chalamet, Emily Blunt, Marion Cotillard, Rachel McAdams, Franco Nero and Gordon Ramsay.

Deepika is known in the West for her film XXX: The Return of Xander Cage. Many back home were hailing her as the first Indian to get the honour. But that ship sailed over six decades ago.

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In 1960, the Hollywood Walk of Fame had an Indian name for the first and only time before 2025. The name was Sabu Dastagir, who may not be known in India but was a sensation in Hollywood before World War II. Born in Mysore in 1924, Sabu was the son of an elephant mahout who was selected by American filmmaker Robert Flaherty for his 1937 film, Elephant Boy, based on a Rudyard Kipling book. In 1938, Sabu moved to Hollywood with the film The Drum. In 1940, he became a star in Hollywood when he starred as Abu in the fantasy adventure film The Thief of Bagdad. Over the next few years, Sabu appeared in hits like Mowgli, Arabian Nights, White Savage, and Cobra Woman. As a teenager, Sabu was one of the most popular non-white actors in Hollywood, appearing in some of the biggest fantasy and action films of the era.

The honorees were chosen by the Walk of Fame selection committee of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce from “hundreds” of submissions at a meeting on June 20. The selections were approved by the Chamber’s board of directors on June 25. “We are pleased to announce the new 35 inductees who will be added to the Walk of Fame in the Class of 2026,” said Peter Roth, former CEO of Warner Bros. Television and chairman of the Walk of Fame committee.”These people have done great work in the entertainment industry, and we’re happy to recognize them.”

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Sabu was the first Indian to make it big in the West. He was in hits like The Thief of Baghdad and Rampage and became a face in Hollywood. Years after his death, Indian actors like Kabir Bedi, Om Puri, and Amrish Puri would pop up in Hollywood films. Naseeruddin Shah and Anupam Kher appeared in American films, but neither of them was the lead. It was only after Aishwarya Rai and then Priyanka Chopra were in big crossover films that Indians became leads in Hollywood again. In between, Irrfan Khan built a career in the West, playing leads and supporting roles in big Hollywood films.

This isn’t the first time Deepika has broken the clutter and made history. She was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by TIME in 2018 and was also a recipient of the TIME100 Impact Award. She made history by unveiling the FIFA World Cup trophy at the final match in Qatar.

This year, Deepika was in the news for being dropped from Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Spirit. She was signed opposite Prabhas, but due to her differences with Vanga, she was dropped from the project and was even trolled by the director on social media for allegedly leaking the script. Ultimately, Deepika was replaced by Triptii Dimri, who has earlier worked with Vanga in Animal. On the work front, Deepika will be seen in Atlee’s next.

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