Yahoo Movies 'Lion' Scene-Stealer Sunny Pawar Shines at the Golden Globes
If Donald Trump was the least happy person watching last night’s Golden Globes Awards (courtesy of “Dame Meryl” Streep’s acceptance speech), Harvey Weinstein was probably the most ecstatic, thanks to the show-stealing appearance of Sunny Pawar, the 8-year-old co-lead of Lion, one of The Weinstein Company’s biggest — and yet strangely less ballyhooed — year-end releases. Lion tells the real-life tale of an Indian man named Saroo Brierley who, decades after being separated from his family in India as a young boy, re-located his remote village as an adult from Australia using Google Earth. In just a brief on-stage appearance to introduce his film, a Globes nominee for Best Picture, Drama, Pawar stole audiences’ hearts — and in the process, brought more national attention to director Garth Davis’ film than months of preceding publicity was able to achieve.
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For Pawar, meanwhile, it was yet another step on an amazing journey to Hollywood. The pint-sized actor was only six when, while attending a Mumbai school for disadvantaged kids, he decided to answer a casting call by Davis. As recounted by USA Today, Pawar was one of 2,000 kids short-listed for the part, which he’d eventually win. His success at securing the role was an astonishing example of overcoming unthinkable odds. As such, it more than slightly echoed the saga of Brierley himself, who got lost while visiting a train station with his brother at age 5, and, after traveling thousands of miles to Calcutta, wound up living on the streets. Fortunately, Brierley was soon adopted by a loving Australian couple (played by Nicole Kidman and David Wenham in the film) and, as recounted by Lion — and the Australian 60 Minutes profile that served as its inspiration — when he grew up, he miraculously found his way back for an emotional reunion.
Pawar’s performance as the young Brierley dominates the poignant first third of Lion, which depicts, in agonizing detail, the unfortunate set of circumstances that led the boy to lose his way. Boasting an open, expressive face that radiates innocent confusion and terror, Pawar — repeatedly calling out for his brother “Guddu!” in plaintive fright — lays a heartbreaking foundation for the story on screen. The result is a turn that creates such empathy for the character, it all but guarantees that the film’s climax between an adult Brierley (played by Dev Patel) and his aged mother will be a moving one. Helping to bring tender life to this ripped-from-the-headlines story, it’s one of the year’s breakout performances.
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After wowing crowds at this September’s Toronto International Film Festival, Pawar experienced his own travel-related ordeal, as the young actor was initially denied a visa to enter the United States. The ensuing effort to rectify this situation — and to let him tour the country promoting his debut movie performance — took three long weeks. However, shortly after missing the AFI Festival premiere of the film, he and his father, Dilip, eventually arrived stateside in November, allowing him to make the rounds in support of Lion. Last night’s beyond-cute appearance is, to this point, the culmination of that mission — but, with his sort of undeniable charisma, it could be only the beginning of a fruitful big-screen career.
‘Lion’: Watch a trailer:
