The Heartbreaking Life Of Sabu, The First Indian Superstar

when you think of Indian actors in Hollywood I'm certain that several names will come to mind but Sabu isn't one of them why did India's first International stars name fade away from the world's Collective memory let's take a stroll down the past cobbled roads and discover the Intriguing and scandalous life of Sabu Hollywood's forgotten Superstar when Jungle Book star SAU died at just 39 his fans were stunned but as dark details came out their shock turned to heartbreak stay tuned for more on that later Sabu may be the name that gained Fame but it wasn't

What sabu's parents named him when he was born his real name was actually Sellar Sabu while desiger was his older brother's name sadly the reason for a sau's name change stems from a horrific family tragedy buckle up and away we go sabu's mother passed when he was only a young boy leaving his father to provide for the family he landed a cushy job as the maharaja's personal elephant Handler allowing his sons to live with him in the Royal Stables born in 1924 Sabu developed a natural Affinity to the elephants and spent his days helping his

father handle them little did he know what life had in store for him things took a tragic turn for SAU when he was just 9 years old his father passed leaving him and his older brother all alone his mother had passed earlier the Maharaja allowed the boys to continue living at the Stables as long as they took care of his elephants they spent the next 3 years doing just that when fate intervened in the most unexpected way perhaps at that point if someone told SAU he'd be an international movie star one day he wouldn't have

believed it he probably envisioned staying a Mout for the rest of his life but the universe had other plans a British film crew were Scouting For locations when they discovered Sabu tending to the maharaja's elephants it was Destiny can you guess the name of the film The Crew was searching a location for that's right Elephant Boy you can't make this stuff up there's some confusion as to whether the cameraman spotted Sabu or the script writer but in the end it doesn't really matter he entranced the crew with his natural charm and impish grin of course

the fact that he was so comfortable with elephants clinched his place in the film and as we'll see film history too from living a life of poverty in the Maharaja Stables Sabu was suddenly part of a huge Hollywood film the director Alexander Corda was a master filmmaker Sabu on the other hand had never seen a film let alone acted in one now instead of handling elephants he was learning lines performing in front of the camera and flying out to England to complete filming that's when Sabu received a shock the the initial screenplay didn't have much

of sau's character though you'd think the movie would revolve around him by virtue of its title however when the filmakers saw Sabu performing on screen they knew he was special They rewrote his part added much more material for the young boy and just like that Sabu star was on the rise elephant boy was shot both on location in India and in a film studio over in England the result was a superb film which was both a critical and commercial hit it even won honors at the Venice film festival with everyone praising one aspect in particular

the actor that played the young hero SAU our boy had come a long way from the jungles of myor but the good times wouldn't last forever The Glitz and glamour of his London life might have dazzled him in the beginning but Sabu missed India and his life there he even wrote to the stable Keeper in myour asking him how his favorite elephant was doing it's easy to forget just how young Sabu was when his life turned upside down when he came to England he was only around 12 years old Corda saw sabu's potential and cast

him in his next film the drum this role was a step up for Sabu as he went from playing an impoverished elephant driver to a young prince the story was set in British ruled India where a young prince unites with the British to fight his evil Uncle kind of like Lion King thinks Simba and Scar only only with the British as Simba supporters the drum too was shot both in India and England and it was a technical Masterpiece even though it had a lot more actors in brownface than Elephant Boy it did really well in

Britain no surprises there and prove that Sabu could really act his natural confidence and Charisma carried him through he started to receive mountains of fan mail but people in India were not as happy the drum came out in 1938 at the peak of the Indian independence movement and guess what its plot and specifically sau's role stoked intense controversy in the actor's Homeland sau's portrayal of an Indian Prince so enamored by the British went directly against the Freedom Fighters efforts and philosophy the film inspired riots in many Big City theaters sau's films did well enough to

turn him into a hot commodity he became the face of many advertisements and people enjoyed seeing him riding an elephant at zoos or a part of cultural events but there was a darker reason why the public liked him so much supposedly they were happy to see how their country had helped civilize Sabu child stars and managers they just don't get along and sabu's experiences were no different though Sabu became very close with his director Corda and the cameraman who took him in his managers were a different story they actively played on his exoticism and encouraged

him to dress up in formal Indian clothes at occasions complete with a turban and even a whip o when it came to sau's next picture Corda wanted to create something unique the result was the spectacular the thief of Baghdad Sabu played the titular role of the thief Abu the film was unusual because of all its special effects the first of their kind there were flying carpets genies and Magic crossbows and if you're thinking that sounds familiar you aren't wrong the movie is the basis for Aladdin the thief of Baghdad went on to win three Academy

Awards which was a huge deal at the time critics called it dashing dazzling and altogether magical Roger Ebert put it on his great movies list and he especially praised sao's acting as perfectly pitched for the needs of the screenplay sadly although he wasn't aware of it at the time this would prove to be his last huge hit Hollywood really rolled out the carpet for young Sabu the it boy met first lady Elanor Roosevelt shortly after arriving even better for Sabu at least he met his favorite actress Carol Lombard it was Claire Sabu had a mega

crush on the Glamorous blonde and the two evidently became friendly they'd ride Lombard's scooter together but might there have been more than just friendship at work according to Hollywood rumors SAU didn't just have a School Boy Crush on Lombard the teenager was truly madly deeply in love with the screen siren when asked about his infatuation Sabu insisted they were just Pals before saying that she was his very favorite actress if something was going on it would have been very scandalous if not criminal Lombard was 30 at the time Sabu was just 13 however he didn't

have to say goodbye too soon cord's next project revolved around Sabu and was so high-profile that it would turn Sabu into a Star Overnight the film was the first adaptation of the Jungle Book and filming would take place not in India but in Hollywood however there was a dark side to this decision naturally The Jungle Book had to be set in the jungle no surprise there however instead of going to India to film in the jungles there the team decided to make do with forests available in California all the natives who acted with Sabu were

also white actors who'd never been to India and though there were many real animals in the movie like tigers elephants and a bear it also featured two huge rubber snakes The Jungle Book did well commercially it collected good money from rentals and re-releases but it didn't win any awards though it had for Academy Award nominations Sabu was happy with the result and he made up his mind he signed a contract with universal and began his life in Hollywood sadly as we'll see sabu's experiences would run run the gamut from Glitz and Glam to allout despair

sabu's first film in Hollywood was Arabian kns It was a commercial hit and even earned four Academy Award nominations but for critics it was a dud some reviewers felt unhappy with sau's small supporting role David lardner of the New Yorker complained that the industry was wasting his potential by giving him weak roles since Elephant Boy his next two films were nothing to talk about both white Savage and woman had the same exotic theme and Sabu had similar roles of the hero sidekick and comic relief in both perhaps he felt the monotony himself so he decided

to take a short break from films but he had no plans to relax in fact his next ACT was the definition of danger Sabu knew there was no easy way to become an American citizen so he chose the quickest and most direct way he could find he enlisted World War II hadn't ended and America needed all hands on deck so Sabu who had always been interested in flying began training as a heavy bomber Gunner he flew 42 combat missions and was as good an officer as actor however there's a heartbreaking side to this story too

shortly before he enlisted a journalist once asked Sabu who he thought would win World War II apparently the boy's face immediately darkened and he assumed the aspect of a much older man he Gravely said no one and so while Sabu enlisted to gain citizenship and by all accounts was a highly skilled and decorated soldier it's safe to say he had reservations about his role in the combat Sabu tried to make a comeback in films only to discover a heartbreaking reality the audience just wasn't into the same kind of films he'd been a part of and

filmmakers didn't give him the option to shake off his stereotype Hollywood didn't seem to have space for him his next few films were considered mediocre and then and one project stood out for a surprising reason Sometimes the best things happen when you least expect them Sabu was filming song of India in 1948 opposite Gail Russell when she got sick the upand cominging actress Marilyn Cooper came to fill in for Russell for a few days it was love at first sight for Sabu he fell head over heels for Cooper after a worldwin romance 24-year-old Sabu and

his lady love Marilyn Cooper tied the knot and in fact they were so head over heels for each other that they got married within the same year of their first meeting with such a compelling behind the scenes Love Story you'd think that song of India the movie that Sabu and Cooper co-starred in would have been a Smash Hit well unfortunately you'd be wrong the movie was a total flop and sadly just as sabu's personal life triumphed his professional life hit Rocky Waters while his Hollywood films in the late 40s were nothing to write home about

Sabu did manage to salvage something out of the period by traveling to Europe and working in some relatively better films there critics appreciated both the end of the river and black narcissists and praised Sabu for turning in solid performances Sabu was happy with Cooper however soon after their wedding controversy reared its ugly head to make trouble in his otherwise peaceful home life it appeared as if Sabu had a secret in his past a dance Brenda Maran Galer who worked with Sabu on black narcissist filed a paternity suit against him she claimed he was the father

of her daughter MAA and her case held water the girl was born in 1948 just a year after the film wrapped up awkwardly this was also the same year that Sabu married Cooper do I sense a courtroom drama Brewing while the jury ruled in sabu's favor initially an appeals court ordered a new trial evidently Jalia was standing her ground and digging in her heels the new trial lasted an entire year before Sabu decided to change tactics in the end the actor agreed to an outof Court settlement and the details of that settlement well let's just

say they're very telling while Sabu didn't explicitly admit that he was Cooper's baby daddy the actor did agree to some pretty suggestive terms he pledged to pay for jer's costs and to provide child support until Mya turned 21 since Jalia had recently tied the knot herself and her husband wanted to adopt the child she was happy with this outcome so was Sabu the dad your guess is as good as [Music] mine Sabu may not have admitted to being maka's Dad but he soon welcomed two children with his wife Jasmine Sabu grew up to work in

films too but as a screenwriter and animal trainer tragically she passed at the age of 44 in 200 1 Paul Sabu was born 3 years after Jasmine and is an emmy-winning singer songwriter Sabu had certainly achieved the American dream he was one of the richest stars in Hollywood in the late 40s and 50s he was the first Indian to get a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame and he was friends with President Reagan sure his film career was dwindling but he was trying to revive it and who knows it just might have picked up if

fate didn't deal another cruel blow at him remember sabu's older brother who came with him from India the two boys had always been very close with Sabu depending on his older sibling to manage his career the two also managed a furniture store together unfortunately disaster struck when a young boy broke into the shop planning to piler some money that he'd seen sabu's brother bring in little did the boy know this decision would change everything sabu's brother resisted the attack leading the young boy to panic panic and shoot him tragically sau's brother passed on the spot

the horrific and violent loss left Sabu completely devastated and unfortunately fate wasn't through with the star just yet soon enough Sabu encountered even more drama in his personal life his house caught fire but that was just the beginning of another nightmare the authorities quickly caught the arsonist and the man soon admitted that he'd indeed set the house on fire however when it came to why he lit the flame the man's answer had everyone's jaw on the floor shockingly the arsonist claimed that he had burned down sabu's home as part of a conspiracy the man claimed

that sabu's friend asked him to light the fire and that wasn't all he also claimed that the friend didn't want to harm Sabu no the opposite the friend saw that Sabu needed the insurance money and decided to help his buddy out and the Scandal wasn't over yet at first it looked like the plan went well the insurance company paid sabu's claim giving him a much needed windfall however after the revelations about the real cause of the fire came out all sabu's cash disappeared the insurance company realized that they'd been the victim of a fraudulent scheme

and they sued the legendary Indian actor with all their might had it ever cross sabu's mind to try his luck in India perhaps it hadn't until the day he woke up to a surprise offer from an Indian director Meo Khan was making Mother India which would go on to become a huge hit and wanted Sabu for the role of bersu a young boy in the film unfortunately Sabu would have to turn it down for a heartbreaking reason India denied Sabu a work permit since he couldn't go there he had to turn down Buu's role which

went to another actor the entire experience must have made Sabu feel bitter his replacement became hugely successful because of the film and to make things even worse Mother India also became India's first Academy Award nominated film although he didn't get a work permit for Mother India Sabu eventually did go back to India and even worked in a film with Indian actress shashikala unfortunately that film never saw the light of day so no one knows whether Sabu would ever have made it in his native country speaking a language he'd given up on a long time ago

in the later years of his life sabu's career floundered in a particularly tough time he moved to Europe and worked with a circus perhaps it was because he always played a wide-eyed naive native looking up to white men Indians were unhappy with the way he depicted their country although it wasn't his fault those were the only roles offered to him the Press wrote unflattering things about him and tabloids published news about him Romancing his onscreen co-stars offscreen all in all Sabu realized that going back to India wasn't going to be a very pleasant experience for

him at least at this point Sabu passed suddenly in 1963 at the age of just 39 the actor had passed of a heart attack ironically he'd gone for a checkup just two days before his passing and the doctor had told him that if all his patients were as healthy as Sabu he'd be out of a job his final resting place is Forest Lawn in the Hollywood Hills Cemetery whether you blame Sabu for playing to The Stereotype or celebrate him for rising from an elephant Handler to a sought-after actor you can't ignore his contribution to the

englishamerican film industry at a time when hardly any people of color were a part of it he worked with what he had and he did the best job he could director Michael Powell remembers him as kind direct strong and intelligent sabu's last two films were a rampage co-starring the Noir icon Robert Mitchum and a Disney film titled a tiger walks both movies came out after his passing Sabu was one of the celebrities who love visiting Ralph helpers Africa USA exotic animal Ranch in solidad Canyon he went there regularly on weekends to play with the animals

and to help around with them and do their chores he may have become a big star but animals were definitely his first love the United States celebrated sabu's achievements with a touching gesture they proudly displayed his famous face on a postage stamp in turn Sabu responded by helping the war cause he traveled through the country selling bonds often times with a baby elephant in toe I guess being the Elephant Boy trumps being a decorated officer sabu's life was a remarkable Journey from a young Indian boy to a celebrated Hollywood star his exotic charm and natural

Talent captivated audiences worldwide making him a household name in The Golden Age of Cinema sau's story is a testament to the enduring magic of Cinema and the enduring Spirit of Adventure if you've enjoyed these stories don't forget to show us some love by hitting that like button and subscribing to our Channel stay tuned because we'll be back with more incredible narratives soon thanks for joining us today and until next time