No Lion, the Aussie accent’s a killer for star actor Dev Patel in Saroo Brierley movie

ACTOR Dev Patel has spoken for the first time about playing Tasmanian Saroo Brierley and how he struggled to perfect the accent for the upcoming movie Lion.

Saroo Brierley in Hobart. First look at the new poster for the film Lion starring Dev Patel and Nicole Kidman.

ACTOR Dev Patel has spoken for the first time about playing Tasmanian Saroo Brierley and how he struggled to perfect the accent for the upcoming movie Lion.

Based on Brierley’s memoir, A Long Way Home, the film also stars Nicole Kidman as the mum who adopts him when he is separated from his birth family in India.

Award-winning actor Patel told Vanity Fair magazine of the close bond he formed with Kidman.

“She’s so wonderful, so gracious on the film. Some beautiful moments that we all shared together,” he said.

The Weinstein Company paid $12 million for the rights to Brierley’s book, which tells of his journey to reconnect with his birth mother, and shot the film between Australia and India.

“Visually there’s a beautiful contrast between the lakes and trees and vistas of Tasmania and the burning oranges and reds of India,” Patel said.

The actor spent eight months preparing for the film, changing his look and perfecting his Australian accent.

“With accents, I end up going too far and I have to be reeled in. I started off with a Dev Patel -Steve Irwin mashup.”

Yesterday Brierley said he was excited to see how Patel portrays him.

“It’s been a whirlwind journey to see my life story turned into a motion picture but I’m really looking forward to seeing the movie when it’s out later this year,’’ he said.

Originally published as No Lion, the Aussie accent’s a killer for star actor Dev Patel in Saroo Brierley movie