Dev Patel is "flattered" by the Oscar buzz surrounding ‘Lion’.
The 26-year-old actor – who plays Saroo Brierley in the drama film – is thrilled people have responded well to his performance in the movie and was only too happy to share the story of Saroo.
He told the New York Times: "It’s totally flattering, but I didn’t sign up for this role because I thought I was going to get an Oscar.
"That was the last thing on my mind. When I read the script, I was a puddle of tears. I couldn’t believe this was a true story. We were all in it because we loved these people, and we wanted to live in their skin for a year of our lives."
Meanwhile, Patel previously revealed he became "a man" when he filmed ‘Lion’.
He said: "After the audition, [Davis] said ‘If we decide to go with you. I really want you to change.’ He said he wanted to see a Dev Patel that no one has ever seen before. I became a man, really."
Patel was one hundred per cent committed to the movie and after finding out he had got the role, he called his manager and told him to clear his schedule for the "next eight months".
He explained: "I called my manager straight after I walked out of the audition and told him that if I get it, don’t send me anything for the next eight months. Don’t distract me with any other work or audition. Journeys like this don’t come around very often for someone who looks like I do."
Saroo, who the movie is based on, wanted it to depict the reality of his situation.
Speaking about the movie, he shared: "I think the thing that I really wanted, along with my family, is that the film came out the way it had been in reality."
Dev Patel ‘flattered’ by Oscar buzz for Lion
