Did You Know These Bollywood Celebrities Were Not Born in India?

The Indian film fraternity has always been welcoming of talented, hardworking individuals from all across the globe. Keeping aside one's place of origin, creed, and caste, Bollywood has made a strong case for inclusivity, with actors, singers, and artists flocking from diverse lands in hopes of getting an opportunity to showcase their unique skills. However, while the industry boasts diversity, you may not be aware that some stars are foreign passport holders, do not pay Indian tax, and maybe born outside Indian borders! 

From Denmark-born Deepika Padukone to British-born Alia Bhatt, take a look at your favourite celebrities who may not have been born in the motherland. 

 

Jacqueline Fernandez

 

Contrary to popular belief, Jackie isn't an Indian but a Sri Lankan citizen. A former model and Miss Universe Sri Lanka pageant winner, she was born into a multiracial family of Canadian, Sri Lankan, and Malaysian descent and was raised in Bahrain. 

 

Katrina Kaif

 

The Bharat actor was born in British Hong Kong, while the country was still under British rule. While her father and mother are both British citizens, her dad, Mohammed Kaif, is of Kashmiri descent. 

 

Deepika Padukone

 

The actor who has been making the headlines for bagging another Hollywood film was actually born in Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark. It is believed that her father was undergoing an extensive training session in the Scandinavian country at the time. However, they moved back to India when Deepika was just short of turning one. 

 

Imran Khan

 

Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na fame Imran Khan was born in Madison, Wisconsin, in the United States of America. 

 

Nora Fatehi

 

A spectacular dancer and performer—who has garnered a fan following of over 31 million on Instagram—Nora Fatehi, as most of you may already know, is of Arabic-Moroccan descent, with roots in India as her mother is a third-generation Indian. However, the celebrity was born and raised in Canada. Although in an interview, she stated that she considers herself "an Indian at heart".

 

Evelyn Sharma

 

The actor whose most notable character was 'Lara' from Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani was born to a Punjabi Hindu father and a German mother in Frankfurt, Germany. 

 

Sunny Leone

 

The actor was born to Sikh Punjabi parents in Canada and later moved to the United States of America. Many may not be aware that her real name is Karenjit Kaur! She now lives with her husband Daniel Weber and children Nisha, Asher, and Noah in Mumbai. 

 

Apart from the following actors, Alia Bhatt and Akshay Kumar hold foreign citizenship and cannot vote during the elections, even though they were born in the country.

Here's why: Akshay Kumar gave up his Indian citizenship to accept Canadian citizenship (the Constitution of India does not allow holding Indian citizenship and citizenship of a foreign country simultaneously). On the other hand, Alia Bhatt is a British citizen since her mother Soni Razdan is of British origin and also holds a foreign citizenship. Soni Razdan was born in Birmingham, UK, to Gertrude Hoelzer, a German woman and Narendra Nath Razdan.