Biopic on India’s first Hollywood star Sabu Dastagir announced

The inspiring journey of Sabu Dastagir, India’s first actor to break into Hollywood, is set to be adapted for both the big and small screen. Almighty Motion Picture has conserved the rights to develop a film and television project based on Sabu: The Remarkable Story of India’s First Actor in Hollywood, the acclaimed biography penned by Debleena Majumdar.

Biopic on Hollywood star Sabu Dastagir in the works

Born in 1924 in Karapura, a village in the former Kingdom of Mysore, Sabu began life as the son of a mahout, an elephant keeper. His rise from humble beginnings in colonial India to international stardom motivational for all. His breakout performance in the 1937 film Elephant Boy, adapted from Rudyard Kipling’s “Toomai of the Elephants,” catapulted him onto the global stage. The film was shot partly in Mysore and at London Films Studios in Denham, directed by Robert J. Flaherty and Zoltan Korda, with Korda winning Best Director at the Venice Film Festival.

Sabu’s filmography went on to include Hollywood staples such as The Thief of Bagdad (1940), Jungle Book (1942), Arabian Nights (1942), and Black Narcissus (1947), establishing him as a transcontinental sensation and a pioneering figure who bridged Eastern and Western cinema. “He was more than just India’s first global movie star, he symbolised a cultural convergence in a changing world,” said Prabhleen Sandhu, Producer at Almighty Motion Picture. 

“Telling his story is both a tribute and a responsibility.” His life off-screen was equally compelling. During World War II, Sabu served as a decorated air gunner in the U.S. Army Air Forces, adding yet another remarkable chapter to his story. He was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960, just three years before his untimely death at age 39.

Author Debleena Majumdar expressed her gratitude, saying, “I’m deeply thankful to my agent Suhail Mathur and to Almighty Motion Picture for believing in Sabu’s story and committing to bringing it to life with such heart.” The adaptation promises to shed new light on a forgotten icon whose life intersected with film, war, and history.