Dev Patel receives BAFTA Award for ‘Lion’

Indian-origin British actor Dev Patel won the BAFTA Award for the Best Supporting Actor for ‘Lion’. The glittering ceremony of 70th British Academy of Film and Television Arts was conducted yesterday at the Royal Albert Hall.

‘Lion’ also received the Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.

The actor who is known for his powerful performance in ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ was fighting with Aaron Taylor-Johnson ("Nocturnal Animals"), Jeff Bridges ("Hell or High Water"), Hugh Grant ("Florence Foster Jenkins") and Mahershala Ali ("Moonlight")

He had lost the Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role award to Aaron Taylor-Johnson at the 74th Golden Globes recently, but after getting a BAFTA Award, chances are high he may bag an Oscar too.

Patel, who was suited and booted with a bow-tie in place for the ceremony here, had told IANS earlier: "I would be lying if I say that awards are not amazing. Awards can really change someone's career. You get recognition.

"You might get scripts that you didn't get earlier. But I never took up a project thinking about a golden statue."

Directed by Garth Davis, "Lion" is based on Saroo Brierley's best-selling autobiography "A Long Way Home".

It's a true story about an Indian boy who falls asleep on a train only to wake up and realise he is miles away from home in a strange land where he does not speak the language. He experiences many challenges before getting adopted by a couple in Australia. Years later, he sets out to find his lost family.

In the Best Adapted Screenplay category, "Lion" was contending with films "Arrival", "Hacksaw Ridge", "Hidden Figures" and "Nocturnal Animals".

(With IANS Inputs)