Dev Patel’s love affair with India comes full circle with ‘Lion’
LOS ANGELES— Growing up as the son of immigrants in London, actor Dev Patel did not feel much connection to India. In fact, he says he spent most of his youth “trying to distance myself from my culture.”
That all changed after shooting five films in India. The latest of those, “Lion,” is an adoption drama about a young man conflicted about his identity.
“It’s been the most nourishing experience of my career so far,” said Patel.
Patel, 26, made his name as the star of the 2008 Oscar-winning movie, “Slumdog Millionaire.” “Lion” is based on the true story of Saroo Brierley, who was separated from his family in rural India when he accidentally boarded the wrong train at age 5.
Unable to remember his hometown or his mother’s name, Saroo is placed in an orphanage, adopted by an Aus- tralian family. More than 20 years later, he uses the Google Earth map tool to find his home in India.
“I could relate to it. As someone who hadn’t been to India as a young man and tried to hide (his Indian ethnicity) for a long time, when I went there for ‘Slumdog,’ it opened mymind to a whole new level of consciousness and acceptability of who I am,” he said.
Patel, who also appeared in the two “Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” movies, said he now finds India enthralling, exciting and a place that brings out “the innermost feelings of your soul.”
“All those preconceived notions that I had as a young boy were broken—and it’s a love affair with (India) now,” he said.
In “Lion,” the adult Saroo considers himself Australian, but little moments start to jog his childhood memories of India. He becomes obsessed with trying to find his way back home to his family.
The actor hopes the film will highlight the plight of the thousands of street children in India.
“Stories like this can help generate a dialogue to get those kids off the street and put them in the right homes—there are thousands of people around the world who want to adopt children and don’t know how to,” he said.—