Indian athletes who have acted in movies

In India, people are obsessed with Bollywood movies, sports, and anything that is a convergence of both. While we have seen films based on certain sporting disciplines, or ones which have been made on famous sportspersons, we have also had special cases in which sports people became Bollywood actors. Some are loved by the public in a filmy avatar for others are glad that they step back as quickly as they came.

More recently, the 2008 Beijing Olympic medallist boxer Vijender Singh has played a cameo in Salman Khan starrer Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan.

Here, we take a look atIndian athletes who have acted in movies.

Dara Singh

A professional wrestler, Dara Singh was the first Indian sportsperson to be nominated to the Rajya Sabha. He started his acting career in 1952 with Sangdil and has worked in over 100 films. He is also famous for portraying Bheem in various Mahabharata movies. He also launched the Dara Film Studio in Mohali, Punjab.

Vijender Singh

The first Indian boxer to win an Olympic medal, Vijender Singh made his acting debut with the 2014 film Fugly. He also appeared in the 2023 Salman Khan film Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan.

Vijay Amritraj

A legendary figure in Indian Tennis, Vijay Amritraj has acted in various Hollywood movies. He made his acting debut in the James Bond film Octopussy and also appeared in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.

Ashwini Nachappa

A notable track athlete, who has achieved the rare feat of beating the legendary PT Usha on a couple of occasions, Ashwini Nachappa has acted in a few Telugu films. She made her acting debut in her own biographical film Ashwini and received a state award for the same.

Sachin Tendulkar

The god of cricket Sachin Tendukar played a small role in the 1985 film Kabhi Ajnabi The. What is to be noted is the fact that Tendulkar made his international cricket debut almost four years later in 1989.

Kapil Dev

The 1983 Cricket World Cup winning captain Kapil Dev has acted in various films. His most notable performance remains in the movie title Iqbal. Besides, he also appeared in other films like Dillagi...Yeh Dillagi, Chain Kulhi ki Main Khuli, and Mujse Shaadi Karogi.

Sunil Gavaskar

One of the greatest batters of all time, Sunil Gavaskar has tried his hands at acting as well. He made his acting debut with Marathi film Savli Premachi in 1980. He also appeared in Kabhi Ajnabi The - the same film Sachin Tendulkar appeared in, and Maalamaal.

Leander Paes

The 1996 Olympic medallist, Leander Paes appeared in the 2013 movie Rajdhani Express.