Dev Patel, lead actor in Danny Boyle’s latest film Slumdog Millionaire, talks to Samiat Pedro about landing his dream role, adopting accents in Mumbai and finding himself on TV’s famous sofas.
It is another hectic day for the seriously jetlagged Dev Patel. Fresh from his trip back to India, Dev sits talking to Philip and Fern on the This Morning sofa but he’s certainly not complaining – after all, this is the part he worked his butt off for. “I never wanted anything so badly,” says the 18-year-old from Harrow.
Later he admits, “It hit me in the middle of the interview. I was like wake up Dev, quickly you’re yawning, you know.”
Fast forward a few hours and Dev is being whisked off again, probably to yet another round of interviews and press events and by the end of the day he is named best young actor at the Critics’ Choice awards (the film picked up a further 4 awards, adding more weight to talks of victory at the Oscars).
In amongst the day’s many activities, Dev took time out to talk to Samiat Pedro about landing his first leading film role in Danny Boyle’s latest film, Slumdog Millionaire.
Dev has a comical personality – polite and animated. Clearly he is still getting used to all of the attention and support” it was only three years ago that he was at school studying for his GCSEs. “I was the class joker,” he says.
“I had so much energy and teachers needed to channel it. I got into martial arts, which really helped.”
Despite gaining a black belt in Tae Kwan-do, it was performing in a school musical production of William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night that really gave Dev a sense of achievement. “I remember doing the rehearsals. I had the time of my life and won this little award for it. And from that day on I knew I wanted to carry on acting. I took it as a subject for my GCSEs but it was only once my mum saw the open audition for Skins that I really got into it.”
Playing farcical teen Anwar in the Channel 4 drama/comedy provided Dev with his first experience of professional acting.
“I didn’t really know, a normal kid doesn’t really know how to get onto TV,” he shares. “There are no other actors or anything like that [in my family].” Dev’s mother is a care worker and his father works as an IT consultant. “My mum was great in urging me to do it,” he says. And the rest of his family? They seem equally keen supporters of his newfound career. “I cannot believe it, they’re so cool,” he remarks. “They’re all calling me saying that we’ll go in force to watch your film, Dev, and whoop for you in the cinema so that everyone else claps or else we’ll throw popcorn at them. I was like, ‘Yey, thank you!’”
Along with the pace of the film – swinging from moments of Brit wit to Bollywood-style romance to dark drama and back again – great satisfaction is to be had from seeing Dev hold his own as the harmless and optimistic orphan from Mumbai, Jamal Malik.
Slumdog Millionaire tells Jamal’s story as he finds himself in the hot seat on the Indian version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire?
So, how exactly did it happen? How did he end up going from playing a character in a British TV teen drama to landing the lead role in a multi-award winning film?
“Danny Boyle’s daughter actually saw me in Skins and asked him to give me a go,” says Dev. “Danny went out to India and LA and he couldn’t really find anyone, so he came to London and I went for an audition and he liked me from there. So I really owe a lot to him and his daughter.”
And what was it that attracted him to the part?
“Obviously it was the Danny Boyle factor that attracted me to the film but when I read it I just fell in love with this character,” Dev says. “You instantly root for him. He’s just one of those characters you want to get behind and it‘s such a lovely script, it transports you into another world. Simon Beaufoy (who also wrote Brit film, The Full Monty) paints such a beautiful picture of Mumbai.”
Working on the film was his first ever experience of India – quite a challenge when your character has literally grown up on the streets of Mumbai and you’re performing alongside actors such as Bollywood legend Anil Kapoor.
“It [wa]s very very daunting,” Dev admits. “In Skins I didn’t have the confidence I would have liked to have. I had no experience prior to that. It was almost like trial and error – I’d watch myself on the TV and if I wasn’t good I’d cringe and then try and do better the next time,” he admits. “It was such a whirlwind for me” I’d never been in front of a camera before. Then Slumdog came along with Danny (Trainspotting, 28 Days Later) and I really wanted to do something serious after Skins and it fell into my lap and it was such a blessing.”
“I never wanted something so badly. I was so eager to do it, it was a great script and a great character,” he says. “It was a totally different ball game, really fun to play. The character has so many layers to him, unlike Anwar in Skins, who’s just a bit of goofball.”
Naturally, Dev also had to put on a believable Mumbai accent.
“That was the hardest because I didn’t use an accent coach,” he shares. “I went out with a dictaphone picking up whatever I could from the locals and the other cast. There are so many different accents in Bombay because they come from different parts. I was so confused – I’d spend a week with one and when I’d go to others they were like, ‘What the hell are you talking about?’ So I just made my own way.”
In America, the film has been a major success with audiences and critics alike – four Golden Globes and tipped for success at the Oscars. Now on release in the UK, the film is proving to be just as popular and on course to do well at this year’s BAFTAs.
“It was the most exhilarating experience of my life,” he says, recalling the first ever time he watched the finished film on screen. It was the target audience at Toronto (Toronto Film Festival), everyone clapped along with the last sequence” it was just a beautiful feeling of acceptance and finally a chance to appreciate what I’ve done, it was great.”
As ever, with screenings come publicity and the press. However, no-one could quite imagine the film and its teen stars’ appeal. Whilst in the U.S., this resulted in Dev being called to make an appearance on yet another famous TV sofa: on David Letterman’s show. Letterman had obviously never heard of Skins and seemed confused as to how this ordinary English boy ended up in a hit film, as he sat across from Dev, talking about it.
“That was crazy,” says Dev. “That was my first ever live interview and as you could see I was really nervous. It was something I certainly won’t forget.”
So, what’s Dev’s theory as to why the film has achieved such broad appeal?
“Danny Boyle, a great script, and then there’s the other star of the film, Mumbai itself – people are plunged into the reality of it all,” he says.
Undoubtedly, 2009 has got off to a great start. What’s next for the actor?
“Nothing yet,” he laughs. “I hope I’ll be getting auditions.”
The final question – as he is whisked off to be asked, well, many other questions – is an important one. A £1 million question, to be exact.
Okay, yes it is from the *Who Wants To Be a Millionaire Junior edition board game (don’t ask why) but if anything, I think that only raises the stakes.
“We know that Jamal is a dab hand at Who Wants to be a Millionaire but how do you think you’d fare?” I ask.
Dev sounds a bit taken back but he’s up for it.
“So, are you ready?” I ask, getting into the role.
“Yes!”
“No life lines left by the way so, just your answer.”
“Okay.”
“Which one of the following carries the most diseases? Is it
a. Fox
b. Pigeon
c. Rat or
d. Fly?”
Dev stops for a few seconds and then answers, “c. Rat?”
“Is that your final answer?”
“Yeah, final answer.”
It isn’t difficult to see why Slumdog Millonaire has been a popular choice with audiences. In times of economic doom and gloom – coupled with weather that rivals the Arctic – this warm-hearted tale really does leave you with a smile. A display of the determination of the human spirit, it is a nice reminder that life really isn’t that bad.
Fantastic performances from young Indian actors such as Ayush Mahesh Khedekar (who plays the youngest Jamal) coupled with Boyle’s raw, unpolished direction and a character we really want to see succeed make it a film worth relishing. It has amassed an opening weekend gross of over £1.75 million and is predicted to be the highest-grossing film at the UK box office by the end of its first week.
I am sure that we’ll be seeing a lot more from Dev. His honesty, humour and appreciation of it all make it hard not to like him. It’s great to see a natural British talent work hard and do well, and this is only the beginning.
But back to the million pound question…
“Is that your final answer?”
“Yeah, final answer,” says Dev.
“The correct answer is b. Pigeon.”
“They don’t call them flying rats for nothing,” I say exposing my own pigeon-
related issues.
“Yeah! Flying rats. They do call them that don’t they,” he replies.
Slumdog Millionaire is out now in cinemas nationwide, Cert (UK) 15.
Directors: Danny Boyle, Loveleen Tandan
Writers: Simon Beaufoy (screen play) Vikas Swarup (novel)
Cast: Amil Kapoor, Azharudin Mohammed Ismail, Dev Patel, Irrfan Khan, Rubina Ali
