Lion actor Dev Patel : I’m a product of immigrants

Here are excerpts of his interview with Reuters:

We’re seeing countries across the world close borders – what do you make of it all?

Well, I’m a product of immigrants. So if you ask me about migration or integration or freedom to travel within borders I’m very pro-that. There are voices of division, divisive voices and negative voices. But through our art and films such as Lion and many other films this year – Moonlight for instance – we can break down those barriers of prejudice.

You’ve spoken before about your issues with being typecast into roles, how big a problem is it for you?

That is something that actors such as myself have to constantly try and defend, you know just playing who we are… I feel really proud of being able to be a part of representing a diverse cinema and that’s breathing life into diverse stories so that people that look like myself have something to aspire to on screen.”

What’s the motivation behind your #Lionheart campaign?

A: There are 80,000 children that go missing on the streets of India every year, and there are about 11 million children in total on the streets. And what we’re doing is breathing life into one of those stories.

Also read: IIFA 2017: Diljit Dosanjh, Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif and Alia Bhatt to set the stage on fire

Your next film looks at the Mumbai terror attacks. Are you worried about how it might be received?

That story in particular really affected me because at the end of Slumdog Millionaire we danced on this train platform. And during those attacks you know a gunman walked into that station and unloaded an AK 47 (assault rifle) on to hundreds of travelers. So when there were talks of a story going to be made, a film going to be made I really wanted to be a part of breathing life into that and making sure it is done with a level of humanity and sincerity.