Dev Patel nominated for best supporting actor in Academy Awards for role in 'Lion'

Indian-origin British actor Dev Patel has earned the nomination to the Academy Awards in the Best Supporting Actor category for his critically applauded role in Lion, according to NDTV.The 26-year-old actor played the lead role of Saroo Brierley, a man in search of his roots, in the film based on a true story. The film is based on a non-fiction book, A Long Way Home, written by Saroo Brierley and Larry Buttrose.[caption id="attachment_3194750" align="alignleft" width="380"]

Dev Patel in 'Lion'[/caption]Patel shot to fame in 2009, with his Oscar-winning critically acclaimed film Slumdog Millionaire, following which he was also appreciated for his roles in films such as The Last Airbender, Chappie, and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. However, Patel's portrayal of Brierley's abject journey as a lost child through childhood to a man who is obsessed with following his roots to India garnered him much applause within the creative circles.The film charts the journey of a young kid, played by another actor of Indian origin, Sunny Pawar, who gets lost at a train station, and wakes up to find himself in a moving train. He then must learn to survive on his own in the bustling Indian town of Kolkata, while bracing many challenges in life until an Australian couple adopts him.An adult Brierley, played by Patel, then becomes obsessed with finding his roots and the film traces his homecoming. The movie earned a lot of praise for its light artistic touch in creating an emotional melo-drama.Patel's portrayal of Brierley also got him nominated in the best suporting Actor's category in the prestigious Golden Globe Awards, but he lost the award to Aaron Taylor-Johnson of Nocturnal Animals. His co-star Nicole Kidman, who plays his adoptive Australian mother in the movie, too could not score a win in the best-supporting actress category at the Golden Globe, with the trophy going to Viola Davis for Fences.In an interview to PTI ahead of the awards, Patel had said that more than winning, he was looking forward to celebrate the film at the Globes and was happy to be mentioned alongside great actors.