He stole the hearts of Australia in the early noughties with his singing talents, but now Guy Sebastian is leaning into a new creative pursuit.
Twenty-one years after he was crowned the first-ever winner of Australian Idol, Sebastian is making his acting debut on the silver screen.
The music icon, 43, will star in the upcoming Australian Bollywood feature film Hindi Vindi, set to be released early next year. He will also lend his vocals to the movie’s soundtrack.
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The film tells the story of Kabir (played by rising Bollywood star Mihir Ahuja) who is a teenage musician learning about his cultural identity.
Sebastian will take on the role of Kabir’s father, James. The role saw the Battle Scars singer draw inspiration from his own blended family background including his mother’s Anglo-Indian heritage.
The singer has also contributed to the film soundtrack having written and performed on three of the seven original songs alongside renowned Bollywood film composer Javed-Mohsin.
Sebastian’s original composition Made of Heart that he wrote in collaboration with Grammy Award-winning producers The Orphanage also features in the film.
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Earlier this year, Sebastian took to Instagram to announce his involvement in the project.
“Well, this may seem out of the blue … I joined the cast of a Bollywood movie earlier this year!!” he wrote to more than 600 thousand followers.
“It was a surreal experience for me, working alongside a really stellar cast with iconic Bollywood actors, in my very first acting role – it was something that I will never forget.”
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Sebastian said he “instantly loved the story” as soon as he read the script and was honoured to be a part of the project.
“Hindi Vindi is emotional and heartfelt and tells the story of an Aussie-Indian boy and his musical journey.
“I was fortunate enough to write and record original songs to support the soundtrack.
“I am really proud of this project and if anything at least I know I made my Indian mum proud.”
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Thousands reacted to Sebastian’s announcement with many taking to the comment section to share their excitement.
“What an exciting project to diversity your insane talents,” wrote Sebastian’s talent agent Jennifer Fontaine.
”Great seeing you shining on and off screen! Loved sharing the screen with you Guy. Thanks for being an awesome co-star. So proud of you. Can’t wait to see the film and relive the memories,” Sebastian’s co-star Simran Summy Gulati wrote.
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Australian music icon Natalie Imbruglia also shared her excitement simply commenting two applause emojis and a red heart emoji.
The film, created by 24Six Films in association with Sydney based executive production company Drishya Sharma Productions, was shot on location across Sydney. It is directed by Ali Sayed, written by Jay Sharma with Sayed and stands as one of the first feature films out of the recently signed India-Australia Co-Production Treaty.
It will premiere in Australian cinemas through The Backlot Films on February 27 2025.
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