'Slumdog' actor Dev Patel stunned to receive an Oscar nod

Slumdog Millionaire actor Dev Patel received an Oscar nod late Tuesday evening when the nominations were revealed in a live-stream video, and he could not contain his excitement.

Patel exclaimed, “To be totally honest, the news hasn't made its way into my brain yet, but I'm looking at these beautiful smiling faces around me, faces of the ones I love,” entertainment and fashion website Pinkvilla reported.

The British icon is among contenders for the Best Supporting Actor award for his role in Lion, which makes this his first Oscar nomination, and ranks him as the third Indian-origin artist to be chosen in the acting category.

The star will be racing against Mahershala Ali, Jeff Bridges, and Michael Shannon, while his co-star Nicole Kidman is Best Supporting Actress nominee. Moreover, Lion has been named as a contestant in six categories as well.

Having just wrapped filming in India for another project, Patel said that it “makes this moment so much more poignant. […] This enthralling country holds such a deep place in my heart, and it is where Saroo's journey was born.”

Lion is inspired from Saroo Brierley’s 2013 book A Long Way Home, which is an account of a man searching for his biological parents, whom he lost contact with when he was five years old, and consequently got adopted by an Australian family.

“[…] I want to share this incredible feeling with Luke, Grieg, Jenny Kent, Iain, Angie, Emile, Sunny, Nicole, David, Rooney, Divian, Priyanka, the Brierley family as well as the Weinstein Co team,” Patel added.

Directed by Garth Davis, Lion is set for public screening in India on February 24. It also includes a cameo role by Nawazuddin Siddiqui.

Other films Patel has been involved with previously are The Last Airbender, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, and Chappie. Lion was “one of the most memorable experiences of my life,” the 26-year-old mentioned.