Dev’s date for the Oscars? His mum the carer!
(but she’ll be back to work after glitzy ceremony)
LAST night she was guest of honour at some of the most glamorous parties on the planet.
But later this week Anita Patel – mother of the British Oscar nominee Dev – will be back at work in a care home for the elderly in north London.
As her son’s plus one at last night’s Academy Awards, Mrs Patel was rubbing shoulders with Tinseltown’s biggest stars, from Denzel Washington to Meryl Streep.
She could not conceal her immense pride at 26-year- old Patel’s achievement at winning an Oscar nod for his best supporting actor role as a grownup Saroo Brierley in Lion – which was also up for best picture.
‘It’s a dream to go to the Oscars with your son the actor,’ said Mrs Patel.
‘You always knew he would do well. And he has done so well.
‘He’s only 26 years old and he has an Oscar nomination.
‘We thought it might happen for him one day but not this soon.
‘To get an Oscar nomination is wonderful: he’s a winner just to get that nomination. That’s what I believe anyway.’
Mrs Patel, 53, works as the deputy manager of a care centre for the elderly in Wembley.
‘It’s a very different kind of lifestyle to this,’ she said, smiling as she gestured around the a star-studded reception at the swanky Montage Hotel in Bev- erly Hills, close to Rodeo Drive. ‘We help give care to elderly people who have all manner of ailments. It’s a day centre and it’s a very rewarding job.’
She added: ‘The people we care for and my colleagues all know about Dev and his Oscar nomination.
‘They’ve all been so excited at what’s been happening and when I go back into work on Wednesday morning they’ll want to know all about it. I went to see Lion with 15 of my work colleagues and we all had such a great time. ‘It was such fun but the film is so moving that I cried. I think we all cried.’
Mrs Patel, who lives with husband Raj, flew into Los Angeles on Saturday and was soon swept up into an unreal world of famous faces from the silver screen, glitzy parties and unimaginable luxury.
And yet she showed a determination to keep her son’s feet on the ground. ‘For all that has happened to Dev he’s still my boy from [north London suburb] Rayners Lane,’ she said.
‘Have you seen his flat here in Hollywood? He’s got a street sign that says Rayners Lane on it.
‘He said it’s just to remind him where he came from.’
Patel has previously spoken of how it was his mother who helped him launch his acting career while he was still at school.
She had seen an advert in a local newspaper for auditions for TV show Skins and dragged her son along to try out, pulling him out of school for the day.
He won the part of Anwar, which became his breakthrough role.
Yesterday at the Patels’ modest family home, a 1930s end- of- terrace, neighbours expressed their pride in the family’s success.
Close friend Umair Badshah said: ‘Dev’s mum is a very easygoing, peaceful person. She gets along with everyone.
‘She will be over the moon. It’s not a small thing being nominated for an Oscar. It’s great. Something to be proud of. We’re definitely proud.’
Another neighbour said: ‘They are nice, quiet people. Really reserved.
‘It’s great. I’m honoured to be living near them with him up for that.’
Last night the organisers of Hollywood’s biggest annual event were praying it would not be a wash-out.
Forecasters said an inch and a half of rain could fall in Los Angeles during the run up to the ceremony and the rest of the evening.
‘It’s a dream to go to Oscars’