Latest news with #Sabu:TheRemarkableStoryof
IOL News
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- IOL News
Biopic on India's maiden Hollywood star
Sabu, India's first actor in Hollywood Image: IANS The extraordinary life story of Sabu, who was India's maiden Hollywood actor, is coming to life on the big screen. The film and television rights to 'Sabu: The Remarkable Story of India's First Actor in Hollywood,' the acclaimed biography by author Debleena Majumdar has been acquired by Almighty Motion Picture. The biography chronicles the incredible true story of Sabu Dastagir, the Indian boy who rose from elephant stables in Mysore to become an international movie star. 'Sabu's story deserves to be told with grandeur and truth. He wasn't just India's first global star, he was a bridge between worlds, cultures and eras. To bring his story to the screen is more than filmmaking. It's preserving a legacy the world must never forget and is a responsibility we hold close to our hearts,' said Prabhleen Sandhu, producer at Almighty Motion Picture. The son of a mahout (elephant handler), Sabu's journey from colonial India to the Hollywood Walk of Fame reads like a forgotten epic of fame, war, identity, and legacy. His story spans continents, cultures and eras — from his breakout role in 'Elephant Boy' to his service as a decorated air gunner in World War II. Sabu, who was born in 1924 in Karapura, Mysore, Kingdom of Mysore, then a princely state of British India, made his debut in the 1937 film 'Elephant Boy' based on Rudyard Kipling's 'Toomai of the Elephants' from 'The Jungle Book.' The film was directed by documentary filmmaker Robert J. Flaherty, who produced the Indian footage, and supervising director Zoltan Korda, who completed the film and won the best director award at the Venice Film Festival. Shot at London Films studios at Denham and on location in Mysore, the film launched Sabu into international stardom. He went on to star in Hollywood classics including 'The Thief of Bagdad' (1940), 'Jungle Book' (1942), 'Arabian Nights' (1942) and 'Black Narcissus' (1947), becoming a box office sensation and cultural bridge between east and west. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ His contributions to cinema were recognised with his induction into the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960. Sabu died suddenly in 1963 of a heart attack at the age 39. Majumdar added: "Thanks a lot to my literary agent Mr. Suhail Mathur for believing in me and for not only getting me a book deal & an AV one but for also sharing the amazing idea & Almighty Motion Picture for finding value in the story and for shaping it with this brilliant vision. 'It was an honour to research this book and more importantly to learn about how cinema and movies evolved through world changing global events.' SUNDAY TRIBUNE
Indian Express
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
India's first Hollywood star rose from elephant stables, fought WWII, almost played Birju in Mother India; his biopic is finally happening
Sabu Dastagir's life sounds like a movie in itself, and now the OG Indian face in Hollywood is finally getting one. According to Variety, Almighty Motion Pictures has acquired the rights to turn Sabu's life and journey into a biopic. The story is based on Debleena Majumdar's biography Sabu: The Remarkable Story of India's First Actor in Hollywood. It's a story many might not know today, but way before Bollywood made a breakthrough and went global, Sabu was making headlines, not just in India, but all across the West. He was also the first Indian to get a Hollywood Walk of Fame star of his own. Also read: 10 Biggest Emmy snubs of 2025: Squid Game, Selena Gomez, The Handmaid's Tale and more Born in 1924 in Mysore, British India, Sabu was the son of a mahout, an elephant caretaker who used to work for a maharaja. Sabu was very young when he lost both his parents and started working in the elephant stables. One day, American filmmaker Robert Flaherty found him while searching for someone to play the lead in Elephant Boy. The film, based on Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book story 'Toomai of the Elephants,' marked Sabu's Hollywood debut at just the age of 13. The movie became a hit, and Sabu turned into an overnight global star. American and British media wrote praises for his charming, smart, and absolutely natural acting skills. Flaherty and supervising director Zoltan Korda won the best director award at the Venice Film Festival. British producer Alexander Korda wasted no time in signing Sabu under his banner, and next we know, the young superstar was headlining mega films like The Drum (1938), his first Technicolor role, The Thief of Bagdad (1940), Jungle Book (1942), where he played Mowgli, Arabian Nights (1942), White Savage (1943), and Cobra Woman (1944). Universal Pictures signed Sabu after he moved to Hollywood, and he became one of the few brown faces that mainstream audiences knew. That said, many of his roles were heavy on stereotypes. Sabu was often cast as the sidekick or the 'exotic' hero, with little nuance. Also read: American pop star's desi wedding in India had Diddy performing with classical dancer, Rihanna as maid of honor; it ended in divorce over a text At the peak of his career, Sabu became an American citizen and chose to enlist in the Army Air Forces. He served as a tail gunner in the Pacific and flew 42 combat missions. He was decorated with the Flying Cross and the Air Medal. The on-screen hero turned into a real-life hero and soon became a household name in the US. After the war, Sabu tried returning to acting, but things had already started to change. The 'exotic adventure' genre was fading, and Hollywood wasn't offering him any lead or complex role anymore. Still, he did a few notable films like Tangier (1946), Black Narcissus (1947) , and The End of the River (1947). Interestingly, Sabu was the first choice to lead the Hindi film Mother India as Birju, which could have marked his debut in Indian cinema, but visa issues reportedly blocked it. That role, as we know, went to Sunil Dutt. So, despite being an Indian, Sabu never got to act in an Indian film. Tragically, Sabu died of a heart attack in 1963 at just 39. He was buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Hollywood. Some of his last films were Mistress of the World (1960), Rampage (1963), and A Tiger Walks (1964) – released posthumously. Producer behind the upcoming project, Prabhleen Sandhu, called it a legacy that 'the world must never forget.' She added, 'He wasn't just India's first global star—he was a bridge between worlds, cultures, and eras. To bring his story to the screen is more than filmmaking – it's preserving a legacy the world must never forget and is a responsibility we hold close to our hearts.'
Time of India
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Biopic on India's first Hollywood star Sabu Dastagir in the works
Sabu Dastagir Sabu Dastagir, widely regarded as India's first actor to find success in Hollywood, will soon have his life story adapted for the screen. Producer Prabhleen Sandhu of Almighty Motion Picture has acquired the rights to Sabu: The Remarkable Story of India's First Actor in Hollywood, a biography by Debleena Majumdar. The upcoming adaptation will be developed either as a feature film or a web series. Prabhleen shares, 'Sabu's story deserves to be told with honesty and scale. He wasn't just India's first global star; he was a bridge between cultures, generations, and continents. Bringing his journey to the screen isn't just about making a film — it's about preserving a legacy that must not be forgotten, and that's a responsibility we take seriously. ' Debleena adds, 'Thanks a lot to my literary agent Mr Suhail Mathur for believing in me and for not only getting me a book deal and an AV one but for also sharing the amazing idea and Almighty Motion Picture for finding value in the story and for shaping it with this brilliant vision. It was an honour to research on this book and more importantly to learn about how cinema and movies evolved through world changing global events. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Đây có thể là thời điểm tốt nhất để giao dịch vàng trong 5 năm qua IC Markets Tìm hiểu thêm Undo ' Born in Mysore to a mahout, Sabu rose from modest beginnings in colonial India to become an international star. He made his debut in Elephant Boy (1937), based on Rudyard Kipling's Toomai of the Elephants, and featured in Hollywood classics like The Thief of Bagdad, Jungle Book (1942), Arabian Nights (1942), and Black Narcissus (1947). In 1960, he was honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Alongside his film career, Sabu, who became an American citizen, served in the United States Air Force during World War II, earning recognition as an air gunner.
