From Ranbir Kapoor to Sara Ali Khan: Bollywood stars who studied at high world universities

In a world the place legacies can usually determine careers, just a few Bollywood names selected to first earn their stripes in lecture halls moderately than limelight. Their worldwide levels are usually not mere trivia however markers of how world schooling formed their views lengthy earlier than the highlight discovered them.From Sara Ali Khan strolling the halls of Columbia College to Parineeti Chopra diving into economics at Manchester, these actors mixed privilege with preparation. Right here’s a more in-depth take a look at 5 actors whose tutorial decisions show {that a} movie profession doesn’t at all times start on set. Generally, it begins with a pupil ID.

Sara Ali Khan

Columbia College, New YorkEarlier than rising to prominence in Bollywood, Sara Ali Khan was buried in political idea essays at Columbia College. She graduated in 2016 with a level in Historical past and Political Science. Her choice to attend one of many Ivy League’s best establishments was not simply pushed by teachers but additionally by her need to step away from the general public gaze throughout her adolescence.Sara accomplished the four-year course in simply three, a feat that concerned back-to-back semesters and sleepless nights. Her self-discipline, paired together with her love for literature and present affairs, usually comes via in interviews. In 2025, as she toggles between business cinema and performance-driven roles, her academic background stays a quiet affect, mirrored in her alternative of scripts and the readability with which she articulates her journey.

Parineeti Chopra

College of Manchester, United KingdomParineeti Chopra, earlier than film units, was knee-deep in economics coursework. She holds a triple honours diploma in Enterprise, Finance and Economics from the College of Manchester, one of many UK’s high analysis universities and a member of the elite Russell Group.What started as a roadmap in the direction of funding banking took a pointy flip when she moved again to India and interned in advertising at Yash Raj Movies. One foot in finance, the opposite in movie, she quickly switched roles, actually, and debuted on display. Her background in finance, nonetheless, was by no means wasted. She usually credit her schooling for serving to her perceive branding, contracts and the enterprise of cinema.

Soha Ali Khan

College of Oxford & London College of EconomicsThere are pedigrees, after which there may be Soha Ali Khan, who can casually point out each Oxford and the London College of Economics on her CV. She studied Fashionable Historical past at Balliol School, College of Oxford, after which went on to earn a Grasp’s in Worldwide Relations from LSE.Whereas her filmography could also be modest in dimension, her schooling has had an extended shelf life. Soha has spoken overtly about how her tutorial publicity formed the way in which she views politics, efficiency and public life. Her guide, The Perils of Being Reasonably Well-known, is equal components humour and perception, the form of perspective that might solely come from somebody who understands the world via each headlines and historiography. She stays a revered voice in social discourse and literature, standing out in Bollywood’s usually apolitical panorama.

Ranbir Kapoor

College of Visible Arts & Lee Strasberg Theatre and Movie Institute, New YorkRanbir Kapoor’s preparation for stardom concerned extra than simply lineage. He studied filmmaking on the College of Visible Arts in New York after which skilled in methodology appearing on the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Movie Institute, which counts Robert De Niro and Al Pacino amongst its alumni.Ranbir’s tutorial detour was intentional. He wished to study the mechanics of cinema together with route, cinematography and scriptwriting earlier than stepping in entrance of the lens. This basis is seen in his performances, particularly in nuanced roles like Rocket Singh or Tamasha, the place approach subtly enhances intuition. Ranbir continues to be a reminder that severe craft usually begins with severe examine.

Imran Khan

New York Movie Academy, Los AngelesImran Khan’s rise in Bollywood could have slowed, however his tutorial decisions nonetheless make him stand out. After spending his early years shuttling between India and the US, he enrolled on the New York Movie Academy’s Los Angeles campus, the place he specialised in filmmaking.His debut, Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na, made him a youth icon, however few knew that he had already studied screenwriting, modifying and digital camera work in a structured setting. Whereas Imran took a break from appearing, in 2025 he has hinted at a return, this time behind the digital camera. His schooling in LA, paired together with his cross-cultural upbringing, continues to affect his quiet however deliberate decisions in storytelling.TOI Schooling is on WhatsApp now. Observe us right here.