Relatively unknown before the Slumdog phenomena had hit the world, Supriya Davda got up, close and personal with the Patel boy from Harrow
BY SUPRIYA DAVDA | MAR 16, 2009
Undoubtedly winning the hearts of many and receiving colossal adulation from all over the world, I found the 18 year old from Harrow, North West London, humbled by all the accolades loaded on him. Plain to see the Patel boy has jumped leaps and bounds, from playing Anwar Kharral, in the Channel Four teen drama series 'Skins', to playing the chaiwalla (teaboy) Jamal Malik, in Danny Boyles's critically acclaimed 'Slumdog Millionaire'. Like winning the 'Best Actor' and 'Best Breathtaking Performance' at the 2008 Black Reel Awards for Slumdog Millionaire (to name a few), wasn't also enough, I can't wait to meet with Danny Boyle's latest silver screen discovery...Dev Patel.
Q. How are you today?
DEV: Am good, very cold, but I live in London so am used to the weather here.
Q. What's the journey been like for you, from playing Anwar in 'Skins', to Jamal in 'Slumdog Millionaire'?
DEV: Well, Skins was my first ever gig. My mum saw an open audition in the newspaper and dragged me down, and I got selected. It was so much fun, what you see is what you get, a bunch of kids having fun on set. I didn't have the confidence that I would've liked being on Skins. I was learning things as I was going along. It's like testing the water, trial and error; do something, watch myself and say 'oh my god that was rubbish'. And then yes, Slumdog came along as Danny Boyle's daughter saw me on 'Skins', and she asked her dad to give me a go. So I owe a lot to her. And to have a director like Danny Boyle behind you, it's such a great confidence boost. So I got in Slumdog went to India. Playing Jamal was a totally different character, the flip side of Amar. Totally different ends of the world, different cultures and different motives in life. Jamal being very serious and Anwar was there for a bit of comic relief.
Q. Had you always wanted to go into acting?
DEV: I've always wanted to pursue acting ever since at a very young age. I just didn't know how to get into it. I just stumbled into it. Schooling is now on a backseat. Like Skins was shot in Bristol and I lived in London. So it was a bit difficult.
Q. What was the transition like, going to TV and then onto the silver screen?
DEV: It's a lot of hard work; it's not all that glamorous. I am the lead in the film so there is a lot pressure to carry, whereas on TV I was part of an ensemble cast. I've learned trillions on set, mainly thanks to Danny, a great cinematographer. Danny surrounds himself with good people and they're all great at what they do. And just to be doing it in Mumbai was awesome.
Q. You are born and bred in Britain, how did you get in the mindset of a Slumdog?
DEV: Well Danny took me on location; I got to see a few slums. I also did an intern at a call-centre and worked at a really dodgy hotel in the middle of Mumbai, somewhere so run-down. They just saw this kid with a bright red Bruce Lee t-shirt and Nike trainers and thought 'Ah let's make this kid wash dishes like he's never washed dishes before'. I was washing dishes for like 5 hours.
Q. Audiences get to see a different Mumbai in comparisons to other films that capture the city. What was it like working in Mumbai? Had you been there before?
DEV: It's a world apart; I had so many different stereotypes of what I thought life was going to be like on the streets, and in the slums. I had these pre-conceived stereotypes of what a slum life would be like, thinking it'd be like a very depressing place, lots of poverty, like these aid adverts on television 'Donate a pound' and you see these children suffering every day. That's what I thought slum life would be like. And I went there, and was so glad to be proved wrong. Those children don't pity themselves; they just get on with life.
Q. Slumdog Millionaire is based on a book called 'Q&A' by Vikas Swarup, did you go back and read the novel or did you just focus on the script?
DEV: Vaguely I did. I read the script before reading the novel. The only common factor between the two is the game show, the game show being the skeleton to allow the rest of the story to unfold. I mean Simon Beaufoy (screenplay writer) invented Latika, the love story. And he's done a great job.
Q. Any memorable instances during the shoot you can share?
DEV: Oh God, yes plenty, everything was new to me. Mumbai is such a stimulating place to be in, so many people, the various smell in the air, the noises, and the way people in Mumbai drive. Everything is so different, and at times it's hard to concentrate on scenes because there is so much going on around you. It was very exciting. Being a Brit-Asian kid you know it's nice to go there. In fact I'm going back to India; spend some time with the family in Gujarat. I'll be staying in a village...no power shower it'd be one bucket of water a day.
Q. You worked closely with Anil Kapoor and Irrfan Khan who are huge actors in India, had you see any of their movies before?
DEV: Yes of course, I mean I've grown up around watching Bollywood films, Anil Kapoor has done millions. Besides 'Slumdog Millionaire', I loved his performances in 'Mr India' and 'Taal' which also has a wicked sound track. I remember I'd walk onto the set, and would sing 'Ek Do Teen' (Translates 'One, two, three' a famous song from Anil Kapoor's film 'Tezaab') and he'd say 'Oi cheeky'. And I'd say sorry Anil. Irrfan again is an awesome actor. He's done a great film called 'Namesake' and 'Warrior' and he's got a small scene in 'Darjeeling Limited'. He just aces it. He is an actor with great calibre, and his eyes are so warm and it's so natural the way he acts. When you watch the monitor and see his eyes, it just lights up the screens. And working with them both just set the atmosphere, and I just sort of entered into it.
Q. Do you have any intention of entering the Hindi Film Industry? Are there any directors who you like to work with?
DEV: I can't speak Hindi, so I don't know. Anything to get back to India. I love that place so it'd be nice. If I did get to work with any directors, I'd love to work with Mira Nair, and Deepa Mehta is another good one. And you also have all the Yash Raj's.
Q. Any actors or actresses you'd like to work with or have seen as an inspiration?
DEV: I'd love to work with Irrfan Khan again. I also love to work with Leonardo Dicaprio, and I absolutely love Jim Carry. On the flip side of everything I have grown up watching him. I love to work with Kate Winslet, Dame Judy Dench, Helen Miran, the list is endless.
My time was up but Dev Patel's gleeful smile and the twinkle in his eyes said it all...he's certainly overwhelmed with Slumdog's success but he has a illustrious acting career ahead of him.
