Bollywood has provided its fans with numerous iconic Indian actors over the years. Even, some of the foreign actors in Bollywood have made a bigger impact on the audience with their exceptional acting skills. These actors have often played foreigners in Indian films. They have charmed the audiences with their appearance, derived from their international heritage. They have proven that they are no less than Indian stars when it comes to showcasing their talent on the sets of Indian cinemas. In this article, we will be talking about some of the selected Anglo Indian celebrities and foreign actors in Bollywood.
List of 10 Foreign Actors in Bollywood who inspired fans of Indian Cinema
1. Tom Alter
Tom Alter has done more than 300 films. Within those films, his roles were type-casted as other Hollywood actors in Bollywood. Being born to a family that immigrated to India from the US, Tom had a well-known personality. He had impeccable Hindi and Urdu speaking skills. This was unique compared to other foreign actors in Bollywood. The actor lost his life at the age of 67 battling against cancer. However, audiences still resonate with his exceptional performances in movies such as Gandhi, Sardar, Shatranj Ke Khiladi, and so on.
2. Clive Standen
Clive Standen is another infamous name in the list of explicit foreign actors in Bollywood. Audiences from the Indian cinema can relate with Clive’s role in Namaste London. In that movie, he played the role of Katrina Kaif’s boyfriend. It is because of their traditional viewpoint of competing against international citizens for love in India. Clive made it real for audiences by giving tough competition to Akshay Kumar in that movie.
3. Paul Blackthorne
Paul Blackthorne is among the foreign actors in Bollywood. He did an exceptional acting in Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India. The movie also featured other Anglo Indian celebrities; Rachel Shelley and John Rowe. Paul spent almost six months learning Hindi for his role as Captain Andrew Russell in the movie. His impeccable acting skills on the set of Lagaan led him to be considered as a nominee, along with the movie, for the Oscars.
4. Ben Kingsley
Ben Kingsley has been popular in Indian cinema. It is because of his role as Mahatma Gandhi in the movie Gandhi released in 1982. He was among the first few Hollywood actors in Bollywood who had an explicit impact on Indian audiences during the late 1900s. Sir Ben Kingsley won the Oscar for Best Actor for the movie Gandhi. Teen Patti is one of Ben’s latest Bollywood movies. He took up the role of Perci Trachtenberg in that movie that also had Amitabh Bachchan as Prof. Venkat Subramaniam.
5. Alexx O’Nell
Alexx O’Nell is among those foreign actors who have made a mark in Indian cinema. He has acted in notable movies like Aarya, Roohi, Main Aur Charles, and Golondaaj. Although he may have had small roles in these movies, his impact on the audience has been remarkable. Alexx started his career in Bollywood alongside the legendary Amitabh Bachchan. Both of them acted together in Cheeni Kum and Chere.
6. Kader Khan
Kader Khan was the backbone of Hindi cinema. He was an exceptional actor who could fit into any role and was also a splendid writer. After working hard in the Bollywood industry for 45 years, Kader Khan moved to Canada with his sons. He spent the last few years of his life there. This makes him a veteran foreign actor in Bollywood. Moreover, he received The Padma Shri Award posthumously in 2019 after he passed away in 2018.
7. Paul Blackwell
Paul Blackwell is among the most-recognized Anglo Indian actors in Bollywood. He is said to have acted alongside King Khan – Shahrukh Khan in movies such as Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2012) and Fan (2016). Paul was born and brought up in Australia had been a part of great movies of all time such as The Quiet Room, Red Dog, and so on. He died due to multiple myeloma in 2019. However, Paul’s loss is equally mourned by the fans of the Indian cinema compared to audiences globally.
8. Gavin Packard
Gavin Packard is among the few yet exceptional foreign actors in Bollywood. He inspired fans of Indian cinema during the 80s and 90s. His face was more familiar than his name and origin among Hindi and Malayalam audiences. Gavin was the grandchild of John Packard who stayed and settled in India after the end of World War II. This adds to Gavin’s blond hair and Irish looks as he grew up in Kalyan, Bombay. Some of Gavin’s notable movies in the Bollywood movies are Kunwara, Tirangaa, Baaghi, Karan Arjun, and so on.
9. Paul Bhattacharjee
Paul Bhattacharjee is a British-Indian actor who was born in Calcutta, India however, made an exceptional name through his impeccable acting in movies such as the Casino Royale, Brick Lane, and The Best Exotic Marigold. Based on his experiences and entire acting career across Hollywood movies, Paul is considered a significant Anglo Indian celebrity who had his roots deeply associated with India.
10. Fawad Khan
Fawad Khan is among the talented Pakistani actors that had made a significant image among audiences of Indian cinema. He entered into the Bollywood industry with his debut role in Khoobsurat and then later dominated Indian cinema through his acting in Kapoor & Sons. Fawad’s spark in the hearts of Indian film audiences is remarkable compared to other actors of Indian origin, which is why his name has been considered reputable in the list of foreign actors in Bollywood.
Conclusion
As described above, these foreign actors in Bollywood, despite being often typecast as foreigners in Indian movies, have become an inspiration to a large number of Indian film audiences. These actors have never criticized or shown any regret towards this custom in Indian cinema. Based on such aspects, the article demonstrated the splendid life and successful film career led by prominent Hollywood actors in Bollywood.
Check out the list of top 10 foreign actors in Bollywood –
- Tom Alter
- Clive Standen
- Paul Blackthorne
- Ben Kingsley
- Alexx O’Nell
- Kader Khan
- Paul Blackwell
- Gavin Packard
- Paul Bhattacharjee
- Fawad Khan
