Before Dhanush, Indian superstars who shined in Hollywood: Rajinikanth, Amitabh Bachchan, Priyanka Chopra on the list

The members of the Hollywood film fraternity in recent times have made some notable strides when it comes to diversifying the industry. And Asian actors seem to be getting their long-overdue representation across the spectrum. From superhero characters to Indian-origin actors landing plum roles in big-budget movies, Hollywood is paving the way for a significant change when it comes to reflecting the aspirations, cultures, and thinking of talents from Asia.
Dhanush is one of the beneficiaries of the changing dynamics of Hollywood. Of course, he’s not the first talent from India to land a Hollywood film. We had actors like Amitabh Bachchan, Amrish Puri, Anil Kapoor, Anupam Kher, Om Puri, Dimple Kapadia and Ali Fazal playing supporting roles in American-made movies. But, only a handful of actors, who are already superstars in India, have managed to secure lead roles in Hollywood.
Dhanush has played an assassin in Netflix’s upcoming movie The Gray Man, which is written and directed by the Russo brothers. It’s a very minor role but an important one. The Russo brothers have revealed that they wrote his character in the film after they were impressed by Dhanush’s performances in action scenes in Indian movies. And they also noted that if The Gray Man clicks with the audience, they could expand the cinematic universe with Dhanush’s character.
It’s worth noting that before The Gray Man, Dhanush played a full-fledged role in director Ken Scott’s The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir. He had played the protagonist in the movie. However, the film didn’t capture the attention of the critics or the audience at the box office.
Ahead of The Gray Man, here is the list of Indian superstars who made a mark in Hollywood before Dhanush.
Rajinikanth
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Well before Dhanush, Superstar Rajinikanth made his debut in Hollywood with director Dwight H. Little’s Bloodstone (1988). It remains the first and only English language film in Thalivar’s career spanning over four decades.
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan