Sabu Dastagir (27 January 1924 – 2 December 1963) was an American film actor of Indian origin, who later obtained American citizenship. He was normally credited only by his first name, Sabu, and is primarily known for his work in film during the 1930s–1940s in Britain and America.

Biography

On 19 October 1948, Sabu married little-known actress Marilyn Cooper, (whose only movie part, as Princess Tara in Song of India in 1949, was not credited), with whom he had two children. Their marriage lasted until his death.

Their son Paul Sabu established the rock band Sabu in the 1980s, and their daughter Jasmine Sabu was an animal trainer on various films; she died in 2001.

Sabu was the subject of a noted paternity suit that resulted in a published opinion by the California Court of Appeal, Dastagir v. Dastagir, 241 P.2d 656 (Cal. App. 1952). Sabu was sued by an infant girl born in 1948, through her mother, an unnamed unmarried English actress, who claimed to have had an affair with Sabu, and that he was the infant's father. The suit was tried by a jury, which returned a nine to three verdict in favor of Sabu.

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