Preparing For Lion Role Changed Dev Patel As A Human Being

The renowned Hollywood actor of the Indian origin, Dev Patel, says preparing for the character of the movie Lion has taught him many human values and given him the opportunity to connect to his roots in India.

The Slumdog Millionaire star, however, said that, he had faced a lot of struggle to get quality work after Slumdog Millionaire and the actor said he had felt pigeon-holed for some period in his life, until Garth Davis directed Lion came his way. Lion is a strong contender for the Oscars this year.

"The film has opened people to my potential. After 'Slumdog Millionaire', it was really hard for me to get quality work. You think it would be easy but it is actually quite a struggle. I felt pigeon-holed. But I kept working hard and have been patient for many years now." Said Patel.

"So, when a role like this came, I gave everything that I had to do justice to it. It feels really good when it is recognised," the actor added.

Patel also said that for preparing the role in Lion, he had to travel to many parts of India and that helped him learn human values and made him more conscious as an individual.

"I isolated myself from my normal reality. I traveled in trains across India, visited orphanages and met many wonderful people. It really changed me as a human being. This is why I love what we do." Dev continued.

"You can walk into someone else's shoes and understand different perspectives on love, family and life. It made me a more conscious individual." He stated further.