Will Dev Patel win an Oscar for Lion?

Los Angeles - Dev Patel little nervous about Oscars ceremony

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Dev Patel holds the award for best Supporting Actor, 'Lion' at the BAFTA at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Reuters
Dev Patel holds the award for best Supporting Actor, 'Lion' at the BAFTA at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Reuters

Published: Sun 26 Feb 2017, 12:17 PM

Last updated: Thu 26 Jan 2023, 3:44 PM

Dev Patel, who is nominated in the best supporting actor category for "Lion" at the 89th Academy Awards, says whenever he thinks of the big night is just a week away, his heart rate rises a little bit.

"Lion" is based on the true story of a five-year-old Indian boy, Saroo Brierley, who gets lost on the streets of Calcutta, thousands of kilometers from home.


He survives many challenges before being adopted by a couple in Australia; 25 years later, he sets out to find his lost family.

Patel, 26, said he is extremely happy with the kind of love his movie has received and that the Garth Davis-directed film is changing the lives of so many people in a positive way, reported People magazine.


"Theres not much more preparation to do at this point. Now, its up to the film gods and we are just really enjoying this time. But whenever I think its just a week away, my heart rate rises a little bit," Patel said.

"A woman came up to me after a screening and said she had been on the fence about wanting to adopt, but after watching the film she said it gave her the courage to do so and she now felt it was her calling. The film is changing lives," he added.

The actor will attend the February 26th ceremony along with his mother, Anita Patel.

"As a child you may say to your parents, One day I am going to take you to the Oscars. But for that to actually materialize into a truth is quite amazing," he said.

Movie review- 'Lion': An emotionally powerful film

Adapted from Saroo Brierley's autobiography "A Long Way Home", director Garth Davis' "Lion" is an intimately emotional film despite an extremely underwritten screenplay. It is an adopted boy, Saroo's journey in search of his biological mother.

Next thing we know, Saroo is aboard a moving train. He is dropped 1,500 miles away from home in Calcutta. Terrified and unable to speak the language, he undergoes a series of traumatic experiences until he finally ends up being sent to Australia where he is adopted by a loving couple, John and Sue Brierley (David Wenham and Nicole Kidman).

Twenty years later, in Australia, Saroo seems like a privileged young man with a promising future, yet he is haunted by his unresolved past. Thanks to the internet boom, Saroo indulges in his computer and succeeds in his endeavour.

The film with two distinct halves makes for a lopsided film experience, yet one that rallies to the end. Perhaps it is just the fact that Saroo's time as an adult just isn't as interesting as his struggles as a child which shows how a single minute accident can completely alter the course of one's life forever. The beauty of the narrative lies in the dynamics of its simplicity and simultaneous complexity.

Film: 'Lion';

Director: Garth Davis;

Starring: Nicole Kidman, David Wenham, Dev Patel, Roony Mara and Sunny Pawar.

Rating:***


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