Deepika Padukone To Be 1st Indian Actress With Star On Hollywood 'Walk Of Fame'

Deepika Padukone is going to make history as the first Indian actress to get a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame in Los Angeles. The class of 2026 list was released during a live press conference held at Ovation Hollywood on July 2. Deepika's name was announced among a list of 35 other popular celebrities, including Timothée Chalamet, Emily Blunt, Rachel McAdams, Shaquille O’Neal, Rami Malek and others.

First Indian Actress on Walk of Fame

Deepika was selected for the Motion Pictures category from about 100 nominees. On July 3, she took to Instagram to share a subtle message about the selection. "Gratitude," she wrote on her Story, summing up her emotions in a single word. 

Fellow Walk of Fame stars Eugenio Derbez and Richard Blade took turns announcing the class of 2026 list. The honorees were selected across five categories: motion pictures, television, live theatre and live performance, recording and sports entertainment. The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce's Walk of Fame selection panel met on June 20 and chose the honorees.

Indians on the Walk of Fame

In February 2025, Mindy Kaling became the first South Asian-heritage woman to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She had posted a heartfelt message on social media."I am so proud to be South Asian, and I want to make my community proud of everything I do, but more importantly, I want to help usher in the next generation of South Asian stars, who are already making a huge impact across the world."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Mindy Kaling (@mindykaling)

The first Indian to ever receive a star was Sabu Dastagir, a Mysore-born (now Mysuru) actor who was primarily known for his work in films during the 1930s–1940s in Britain and the US. His father was a Deccani, and his mother was an Assamese. His father worked as a mahout. Sabu started acting at age 13, in Robert Flaherty's 1937 film Elephant Boy. He is best known for his role as Abu in The Thief of Bagdad (1940) or Ali Ben Ali in Arabian Nights (1942).

Sabu gained US citizenship in 1944 and joined the US Air Forces. His acting career received less recognition after World War II. However, he got a Walk of Fame star in 1960. Sabu Dastagir died due to a heart attack, aged 39, in 1963.