Heart of Stone: 8 Indian actors who have starred in Hollywood films like Alia Bhatt

he highly-anticipated action thriller Heart of Stone premieres on Netflix on the 11th of August and we’re stoked to see our desi Wonder Woman Alia Bhatt share the screen with the sizzling Gal Gadot in a Hollywood thriller. The film promises to be a pulsating espionage tale with plenty of action and drama to keep you on the edge of your seat. The Tom Hooper directorial also features an ensemble cast of Jamie Dornan, Sophie Okonedo and Matthias Schweighöfer in prominent roles. The Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani actress is making her Hollywood debut with this release and she’s only following in the footsteps of prominent Indian actors who have played starring roles in American productions. So for today’s List Hai Toh Hit Hai podcast, we take a look at Indian actors who have essayed memorable characters in Hollywood.

Priyanka Chopra

The first one on this list is unsurprisingly Priyanka Chopra Jonas. After playing the lead role in the American TV Series Quantico between 2015 to 2018, our very own Piggy Chops made her Hollywood feature film debut in the 2017 comedy-drama Baywatch, in which she starred alongside Zac Efron, Dwayne Johnson, and Alexandra Daddario. She has since made us proud by appearing in several big-ticket Hollywood films, including the fourth instalment of The Matrix franchise titled The Matrix Resurrections in 2021. 

Deepika Padukone

Deepika Padukone was expected to make a similar impact on Hollywood just like Priyanka Chopra after making her Hollywood debut in 2015 in the action film XXX: Return of Xander Cage, starring opposite Vin Diesel. Despite interest from various Hollywood studios, the actress reportedly turned down several international offers to stick to making waves in Bollywood. It has however been reported that Padukone is set to star in and produce a Hollywood romantic drama soon. Details regarding this untitled project are yet to be revealed but we hope the film pulls in one of the big Hollywood heartthrobs to share the screen with Padukone.

Dhanush

Tamil superstar Dhanush is certainly no stranger to playing larger-than-life characters in mass entertainers. While his Hollywood debut in 2022 in the Russo Brothers’ action film The Gray Man is probably more grounded than some of his explosive action films, it certainly played to his strengths as he slipped into the role of the deadly assassin Avik San aka the Lone Wolf. It is reported that Dhanush’s character would also feature in the popular Netflix film’s sequel and we’re excited about all the international acclaim the Tamil actor has garnered. Apart from Hollywood, Dhanush has also featured as the lead in the 2018 French comedy The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir which was based on Romain Puertolas’ novel The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir Who Got Trapped in an Ikea Wardrobe.

Irrfan Khan

The late Irrfan Khan is arguably one of the finest actors Indian cinema has ever produced. Therefore it should come as no surprise that Khan was one of the most sought-after actors in Bollywood. His first major international film was the 2006 Mira Nair directorial The Namesake, an adaptation of Jhumpa Lahiri’s novel of the same name. He has since appeared in critically acclaimed films such as Wes Anderson’s The Darjeeling Limited and Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire. He has also starred in Hollywood blockbusters such as The Amazing Spider-Man, Life of Pi, Inferno, and Jurassic World.

Aishwarya Rai

Bollywood superstar Aishwarya Rai appeared in several international as well as Hollywood productions in the 2000s when the actress was at the peak of her Bollywood career. While some of them are lesser-known indie projects such as The Mistress of Spices and Provoked, the others are relatively big-budget Hollywood productions such as The Pink Panther 2 and The Last Legion. However, the actress never managed to get a foothold in Hollywood after her films met with lukewarm reception.

Anil Kapoor

Veteran Bollywood star made his major international debut in the eighth season of the hit spy thriller series 24. He has since played significant roles in the Academy Award-winning film Slumdog Millionaire and the Hollywood blockbuster Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol. He is arguably one of the most well-known Bollywood stars on the international stage. In an interview with Hindustan Times last year, Kapoor shared that he has turned down several Hollywood projects in recent years. Kapoor said, “I would rather stay in India and do whatever I can. Unless it’s something really big, I take my family’s consent. If they say yes, I do it. I didn’t ask earlier, but now I have to ask them if I can stay away from them for so many months.”

Anupam Kher

While Anupam Kher has divided opinion in recent years for his choice of films, he has certainly earned a reputation as a respectable actor internationally, largely thanks to starring in popular films and TV shows. His most iconic role in global cinema is his portrayal of Mohaan Singh Bhamra, the doting father of the lead character Jess, played by Parminder Nagra in Gurinder Chadha’s Bend it like Beckham. He has also starred in Ang Lee’s Golden Lion-winning film Lust and David O. Russell’s Academy-Award film Silver Linings Playbook. His most recent international turn would be in Anthony Maras’ 2018 thriller Hotel Mumbai which is based on the Mumbai terror attacks in 2008.

Dimple Kapadia

Oppenheimer and Christopher Nolan may be in vogue currently, but did you know that veteran Bollywood star Dimple Kapadia has played a prominent role in a Nolan film? The gorgeous veteran actress played the role of Priya Singh, an Indian arms trafficker in the 2021 sci-fi action film Tenet. And since Nolan has a habit of frequently collaborating with actors he has worked with in the past, we’re hopeful that Kapadia will soon feature in another Christopher Nolan film in the future.

Well that's the List hai toh hit hai episode for today, until the next time it's your host Nikhil signing out.

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• Written by Ryan Gomez

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