Meet Saroo Brierley, the man who inspired Dev Patel-starrer 'Lion'

Dev Patel in a still from Lion at a film event PicGetty ImagesDev Patelstarrer Lion may have lost out on the Golden Globes earlier this month but six Oscar nominations have brought the film back into the spotlight And India born Tasmaniabased Saroo Brierley couldnt be happier After all he is the man whose true story with all trappings of a perfect potboiler inspired the film Saroo was five when he was separated from his family in a Madhya Pradesh village as he fell asleep on a train that took him to Kolkata and other places before he was adopted by an Aussie couple It was 25 years later that he reunited with his biological mother thanks to technology In a chat with hitlist Saroo shares his excitement over the Oscar nominations Edited excerptsYou must be thrilled that your story and memoir A Long Way Home have found a cinematic avatar with Dev getting an Oscar nomination How does it feel I am super excited that there has been great recognition from industry critics Receiving a nomination is fantastic as it will propel Lion even longer in the cinemas for people to watch and for those who have just got wind of the fantastic storySaroo Brierley with Dev Patel Did you work closely with Garth Davis director and Dev during the making Did you advise them on locations and the narrative My mother and I helped realign and shape the Lion script and act as consultants I showed Garth and Luke Davies screenwriter the route I walked as a lost child in India and the clothes I wore I think Luke and Garth had extra information which wasnt in the book to look over and maybe use I have taken a massive gap year to be part of the films marketing campaign which has taken a lot of my time and was extremely fun if I might add Does the film stay faithful to your novel If not what changes were incorporatedThe film stays pretty true to the real story mdash about 90 per cent Of course for a motion picture there has to be creative license My family and I are happy with the final cutWhat has the reaction of your families mdash in India and Australia mdash been to the film My adoptive family has been amazed at how accurately the actors have portrayed them They found the film endearing as well as sad since it touches every single emotionCan you share some anecdotes instances of your life before and immediately after the ordeal of getting lost on the train It must have been a nightmarish time Can you recall the many challenges you had to face before being adoptedThere were many instances during my time in Kolkata when I thought I was going to die mdash from being abducted to almost drowning twice in the Hooghly river to being thrown into prison I didnt think of it much after the events had happened since I was living on raw nerve and off my wits I wouldnt wish for any fiveyearold to go through what I did You were able to locate your Indian family using Google Earth Was it a tough searchGoogle Earth was the catalyst to finding my family If I used images from my memory I would still be looking for my family Without Google Earth it wouldnt have ever been possible Can you recount what it was like to meet your mother Fatima Munshi after 25 yearsIt was the most pivotal time in my life I couldnt believe I defied what people once thought impossible There were tears hugs and a massive feeling of being reunited I was extremely emotionalHope played a major partIt was one of the ingredients of success Chance determination love and an unorthodox mind are the recipe to absolute successWhat are your thoughts on adoption and the laws surrounding it both in India and abroad Do you think children who have experienced similar circumstances are in dire need of a better futureI believe adoption should be available for people of every country and not blocked by the government Having the option of adoption allows one freedom to have a child if one is not in favour of IVF or having biological kids Many children need homes and I hope this movie makes people consider adoption way more than they do now