Dev Patel sunk his teeth into 'Lion' and didn't let go
Dev Patel sunk his teeth into 'Lion' and didn't let go
Not only did the rail-thin Patel bulk up to play the sporty Saroo, grow his hair out, and learn a difficult Australian accent, but he also fully immersed himself into the emotional and spiritual reality of the man.
When I met him I felt like, 'God I've known you for eight, nine, months already,' Patel recalled.
Brierley's traumatic separation from his home and his mother and struggle to survive on his own is contrasted by his then comfortable upbringing in Australia with supportive and loving adoptive parents.
On set, director Garth Davis pushed Patel deeper into Brierley's pain.
"The first two minutes were excruciating, because when you do that, you're usually brushing your teeth or popping a pimple or something and then the next 20 minutes all of a sudden I got sucked into this sort of trance-like state and I couldn't recognize the person staring back at me," Patel said.
For Patel, the stories represent completely different journeys — Brierley is a modern Australian man who remembers little of his Indian identity.
Patel is already fully on the awards trail for "Lion."
Ultimately, Patel is just grateful that he was able to stretch beyond "your usual quirky best friend character role or like tech extraordinaire."
Follow AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ldbahr