Close X
Sunday, November 24, 2024
ADVT 
Bollywood

Almost Drowned In Hooghly Twice: Saroo Brierley

Darpan News Desk IANS, 06 Feb, 2017 12:55 PM
    India-born Australian businessman Saroo Brierley, whose intriguing life journey has been captured on celluloid in the Oscar-nominated "Lion", says he almost drowned in the Hooghly river twice.
     
    "Lion" is based on Brierley's 2014 book "A Long Way From Home" which recounts how the author, as a child, gets separated from his family, ends up on the streets of Kolkata and is adopted by an Australian couple. 
     
    He returns to India 25 years later to track down his biological family.
     
    "I would not want any father or son to go through this. I always go to the Howrah train station whenever I am in Kolkata. It reminds me of what happened. I was almost drowning in the Hooghly twice," Brierley said at the Kolkata Literature Festival on Saturday. 
     
    "I came off the train, stepped off the platform and there was a river of people, was pushed here and there and I was crying. It was an extremely scary time," he said.
     
    In 1987, Brierley, as a five year-old, got accidentally separated from his brother while travelling on a train in India. 
     
    He woke up 1,000 miles from home in Kolkata. After surviving many challenges, he was adopted by a couple in Australia. 
     
    Twenty-five years later, he set out to find his lost family banking on an ambitious Google Earth hunt and memories of his native village.
     
     
     
    "You really just had the memory of your mother, brother and sister. You had no photo. It took me a bit of time to realise that this is my (biological) mother. It had been over 25 years," he recalled.
     
    "Lion" received six Oscar nominations at the 89th Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Dev Patel), Best Supporting Actress (Nicole Kidman) and Best Adapted Screenplay.
     
    Talking about his experiences, Brierley thoughtfully replied: "Catching the wrong train can sometimes get you to the right station."
     
    Brierley, who had a say in the script of the movie, marvelled at the power of the human brain, conceding memories are the key to his identity.
     
    "If I had shut all those memories down then I wouldn't have been able to do it. You have to think about how amazing the human brain is. The brilliant things it can do..." he said. 
     
    "I had been searching for her (biological mother) for over 25 years in my sub-conscious mind. I have two families now. I was trying to find a needle in a haystack," he added.

    MORE Bollywood ARTICLES

    Being A Friend, I Am Happy For Salman Khan: Daisy Shah

    Daisy Shah is happy for her "Jai Ho" co-star and friend Salman Khan who was recently acquitted in an Arms Act case related to the alleged poaching of two blackbucks.

    Being A Friend, I Am Happy For Salman Khan: Daisy Shah

    SRK Takes AbRam's Help To Promote 'Raees'

    SRK Takes AbRam's Help To Promote 'Raees'
    Superstar Shah Rukh Khan took his three-year-old son AbRam's help to promote his forthcoming film "Raees".

    SRK Takes AbRam's Help To Promote 'Raees'

    Rishi Kapoor's book is witty, honest: Anil Kapoor

    Actor Anil Kapoor says veteran actor Rishi Kapoors autobiography "Khullam Khulla - Rishi Kapoor Uncensored" is "insightful, witty and honest".

    Rishi Kapoor's book is witty, honest: Anil Kapoor

    Twinkle Khanna Lends Support To Educate Slum Kids

    Twinkle Khanna Lends Support To Educate Slum Kids
    Actress-turned-author and interior designer Twinkle Khanna has come forward to support education for slum children here.

    Twinkle Khanna Lends Support To Educate Slum Kids

    Sneha Wagh 'Excited' about her role in 'Sher-E-Punjab: Maharaja Ranjit Singh'

    Sneha Wagh 'Excited' about her role in 'Sher-E-Punjab: Maharaja Ranjit Singh'
    Sneha Wagh, who rose to fame with her motherly role in the show "Ek Veer Ki Ardaas...Veera" is all set to return to television after one-and-half years with the show "Sher-E-Punjab: Maharaja Ranjit Singh". The actress says she is very excited about her role.

    Sneha Wagh 'Excited' about her role in 'Sher-E-Punjab: Maharaja Ranjit Singh'

    'Deewar' had best screenplay ever: Amitabh Bachchan

    On the occasion of 42 years of 1975 crime drama film "Deewar" since its release, megastar Amitabh Bachchan said that the Yash Chopra directorial had the best screenplay.

    'Deewar' had best screenplay ever: Amitabh Bachchan