I would’ve been shocked if Dev Patel wasn’t nominated for an Oscar: Garth Davis

Lion director Garth Davis says English actor of Indian origin Dev Patel’s performance in the film was really intense, and it deserves an Academy Award nomination.

Australian filmmaker Garth Davis was certain that actor Dev Patel, 26, will bag an Oscar nomination for his film, Lion. “I would’ve been really shocked if he wasn’t nominated because Dev’s performance was really intense, and it deserves a nomination… He was quite real and honest with the portrayal,” says Davis.

Lion marks Garth Davis’s directorial debut in films.

Patel’s portrayal of the older version of Saroo Brierley (who gets lost in Kolkata and gets adopted by an Australian couple) has won him a nomination in the Best Supporting Actor category, while the film vies for the Best Picture trophy at the upcoming 79th Academy Awards. Lion has amassed over 60 nominations across film awards, including six at the Oscars.

HT launches Crick-it, a one stop destination to catch Cricket, anytime, anywhere. Explore now!

The idea is take this extraordinary tale of this young Indian boy and his journey to as many people as possible

Davis — who recently visited Mumbai for a special screening— agrees that such buzz is good for the film that’s scheduled to release in India on February 24, 2017. “It’s nice that the film has been nominated for Oscars, because that means that more people would want to watch the film. The idea is take this extraordinary tale of this young Indian boy and his journey to as many people as possible.”

However, the filmmaker isn’t keeping his fingers crossed in hope to sweep away top honours. “We wanted to be true to the story, and that was the only idea behind it. More than that, I have no control over awards, so worrying about the fact whether or not the film will win an award isn’t a good idea,” he says.