Lion: Dev Patel gets a taste of home in exclusive clip

In the new drama Lion, Dev Patel plays Saroo Brierley, an Indian-born man who lost contact with his family at age 5 after he was separated from his brother at a train station, transported 1,000 miles away, and eventually adopted by an Australian couple.

In an exclusive clip from the fact-based film, Brierley’s long journey home begins not so much with a single step, but with a single bite.

Having grown up in middle-class comfort in Tasmania and now attending university, Brierley has a pat story about his origins until a gathering with friends sparks a Proustian moment. The smell and taste of jalebi, a fried Indian treat, triggers a rush of memories and flashes him back to his youth.

“Are you OK?” asks his girlfriend, Lucy (Rooney Mara).

After a long pause, he finally admits, “I’m not from Kolkata. I’m lost.”

The moment ultimately sets him on arduous voyage to know himself and reconnect with his family.

Lion is directed by Garth Davis (Top of the Lake) and also stars Nicole Kidman, David Wenham, and Sunny Pawar. The film opens Nov. 25. Watch the exclusive clip above.