Charmer Of A Million Hearts Dev Patel

Little did we know that this hyper-energetic child, juggling his energies into various extracurricular activities while getting in trouble with his teachers, would grow up to become a disciplined and composed actor to rule the silver screens internationally. Here’s the journey of an excessively talented and charming actor Dev Patel, who made everyone believe that success is not about age or background but more about pursuing your passion with honesty.

Born to London-based Gujarati parents, Dev Patel was brought up in London Borough of Harrow, England. His father is an IT consultant and his mother is a homemaker. An Indian-origin British actor, Dev Patel made his screen debut at the age of 16 with a role in the British teen comedy-drama, ‘Skins’. It was his mother who pushed him to audition for this television series. During an interview, he said, "The reason I’m in the industry is because of her. She saw an advert for the ‘Skins’ audition in Metro, tore it out and dragged me along to the National Youth Theatre in London." Talking of his first ever audition, Patel says that while other drama students were practising their vocal warm-ups right before the audition, Patel couldn’t help but be intimidated. Yet, it was this awkward teenager who managed to bag the role of Anwar Kharral, a British Pakistani Muslim teenager. On the first day of the shoot, Patel admits that he did not have an inkling of what he was supposed to do because he did not possess any professional experience in acting. Since he had never seen a set before being cast for ‘Skins’, everything seemed alien to him. He says that the only familiar thing was when the director said ‘action’ as Patel had seen it in the films before. Although the actor had indulged himself actively into drama during his schooling years and had gained mass appreciation for his natural flair, he did not receive any formal training in acting. It was ‘Skins’ which gave him an opportunity to showcase his talent. Patel, with his innocent looks and pleasing smile, charmed his way through the hearts of plenty of teenagers while effortlessly playing the debauched teen, Anwar Kharral.