Dev Patel has been nominated for best supporting actor for film ‘Lion’ and if he wins the most coveted trophy in the entertainment world, then it will be a good victory for India.
Ben Kingsley won best actor Oscar in 1983 for film ‘Gandhi’ and is half-Indian.
Talking to British daily Telegraph, Patel said, "It's time an Indian won the Oscar." In fact, the last time an actor of Indian descent was nominated for an Oscar for acting was 13 years ago when Kingsley got the nod for "House of Sand and Fog".
Drawing a comparison with African-American actors, he said, "The storytelling is where you want the diversity. But we're on the cusp of something. When you look at the African-American struggle in cinema, you've got these beacons like Sidney Poitier and Will Smith, and Denzel and Samuel L Jackson. Now tell me, how many Indians have gone on and won Oscars?"
Well the competition is tough as many people are also in favour of ‘Moonlight’ actor Mahershala Ali.
‘Lion’ is an interesting movie based on the real life of Indian street kid whom Australians adopt and then he finds his biological mother in Madhya Pradesh. The movie has been nominated in total six categories namely supporting actress, best film, cinematography and original music score.