Lion (2016 film)

Lion
Company type	Film
Industry	Film industry
Founded	September 10, 2016; 10 years ago
Headquarters	Australia / United Kingdom
Products	Biographical drama film

Lion is a 2016 Australian biographical drama marking the feature directorial debut of Garth Davis, with a screenplay by Luke Davies adapted from Saroo Brierley's 2013 nonfiction book A Long Way Home. The film features performances by Dev Patel, Sunny Pawar, Rooney Mara, David Wenham, and Nicole Kidman, supported by Abhishek Bharate, Divian Ladwa, Priyanka Bose, Deepti Naval, Tannishtha Chatterjee, and Nawazuddin Siddiqui. It portrays Brierley's quest to locate his family in India after being separated from them for 25 years. The production was a joint effort between Australian and British film industries.

Lion premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on 10 September 2016. It then had a limited release across North America on 25 November 2016 through The Weinstein Company, followed by a broader theatrical rollout on 6 January 2017. The film opened in Australia on 19 January 2017 and in the United Kingdom on 20 January 2017.

Receiving widespread critical praise for its acting—particularly the performances of Patel and Kidman—as well as its emotional resonance, cinematography, and writing, Lion garnered six nominations at the 89th Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Patel), Best Supporting Actress (Kidman), and Best Adapted Screenplay. At the 70th British Academy Film Awards, it won accolades for Best Supporting Actor (Patel) and Best Adapted Screenplay. Financially, the film earned $140 million worldwide, placing it among Australia's top-grossing films.

Plot

In 1986, five-year-old Saroo lives with his older brother Guddu, baby sister Shekila, and their mother in Khandwa, India. To obtain food, Saroo and Guddu steal coal from freight trains to barter. One evening, Saroo falls asleep at a railway station and awakens to find himself alone on a moving train, separated from Guddu. After several days aboard, he arrives in Calcutta. Unable to speak the local Bengali language or locate his village "Ganestalay," Saroo spends a night among street children but escapes when men try to abduct them.

He encounters Noor, who takes him to her apartment and mentions a man named Rama who might assist him. Sensing danger, Saroo flees and survives near the Howrah Bridge for two months until police place him in an orphanage. Despite an advertisement seeking his family, no one responds. In 1987, an Australian couple, Sue and John Brierley, express interest and adopt him. Saroo learns basic English and adjusts to life in Hobart, Tasmania. The Brierleys later adopt Mantosh, who faces difficulties adapting and exhibits behavioral challenges.

Two decades later, Saroo relocates to Melbourne to pursue studies in hotel management and begins dating Lucy. During a dinner with Indian acquaintances, he shares his story of being separated from his birth family. Encouraged to use Google Earth to search for his hometown, Saroo becomes consumed by the quest, withdrawing from Lucy and his adoptive family without disclosing his search.

Upon learning that Mantosh is missing and that his adoptive mother is unwell, Saroo visits her and discovers that her motivation for adoption stemmed from compassion rather than infertility. One evening, he identifies rock formations near his childhood village Ganesh Talai in the Khandwa district via Google Earth and reveals his search to his adoptive mother, who offers full support.

Returning to Ganesh Talai, Saroo experiences an emotional reunion with his biological mother and sister but learns that Guddu died in a train accident the night they were separated. His mother had never lost hope during his 25 years away. Saroo also realizes he had mispronounced both the village’s name and his own; his birth name was "Sheru," meaning "lion."

Writing

Lion is an Australian production adapted from the memoir A Long Way Home by Saroo Brierley. Screenwriter Luke Davies discussed the difficulty of translating a narrative focused on an internet search into a cinematic format:

The key was to strike a balance between the visual complexity of "screens within screens" and an emotionally rich story centered on reunion and personal growth, rather than a straightforward procedural explanation.

Casting

In October 2014, Dev Patel and Nicole Kidman were confirmed for roles. By January 2015, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Priyanka Bose, Tannishtha Chatterjee, and Deepti Naval had joined the cast. Later additions included Rooney Mara, David Wenham, and Divian Ladwa in April, with Pallavi Sharda coming aboard in August.

Filming

Principal photography commenced in January 2015 in Kolkata, India. The production then relocated to Melbourne in mid-April, followed by shoots in various Tasmanian locations such as Hobart. Nicole Kidman completed her scenes within Australia.

Music

The film's score was composed by Dustin O'Halloran and Hauschka. The soundtrack features the song "Never Give Up" performed by Sia. Other musical selections include "The Sun, the Sand and the Sea" by Jimmy Radcliffe as interpreted by Picturetone Pete, "Urvasi Urvasi" by A. R. Rahman, "Blind" from Hercules and Love Affair, "State of the Heart" by Mondo Rock, and Enigma's "The Rivers of Belief". A memorable scene features Noor singing along to "Come Closer," originally by 'Disco King' Bappi Lahiri from the 1984 movie Kasam Paida Karne Wale Ki.

Release

Lion had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on 10 September 2016. It served as the opening film for the Zurich Film Festival on 22 September, was showcased at the London Film Festival on 12 October, and also screened at the Hamptons International Film Festival in early October. The United States theatrical release occurred on 25 November 2016, followed by Australia on 19 January 2017, and then the United Kingdom on 20 January. A special charity screening took place in Tasmania at the State Cinema in December 2016, featuring Saroo Brierley and his family.

The film became available digitally on 28 March 2017, with Blu-ray and DVD editions released on 11 April. Upon release, Lion entered the Top 20 NPD VideoScan chart at No. 10, indicating strong sales in home media formats.

Box office

Lion earned $51 million across the United States and Canada, with an additional $88.3 million internationally, bringing its global total to $140.1 million against a production budget of $12 million.

During its limited opening weekend in the U.S., it generated $123,360 from four theaters, averaging $30,840 per location—the highest average for that weekend. By March 2017, Lion had exceeded $50 million domestically, becoming the fifth Best Picture nominee from 2016 to reach this milestone.

In Australia, Lion debuted at number one with a $3.18 million opening—the largest ever for an Australian independent film and ranking fifth among all Australian films for opening weekend grosses. It ultimately grossed $29.6 million within Australia, making it the fifth highest-grossing Australian film in local box office history.

Critical reception

The movie garnered widespread acclaim, with particular commendation directed at the performances of Dev Patel and Nicole Kidman. On Rotten Tomatoes, it maintains an 84% approval rating derived from 270 critiques, while Metacritic assigns it a score of 69 out of 100. Audience feedback mirrored this positivity, as PostTrak indicated that 92% of viewers rated the film as either "excellent" or "very good."

Brian Truitt from USA Today emphasized the film’s engaging storyline and well-developed characters, despite a somewhat contrived ending. Author Salman Rushdie praised the film for its genuine portrayal and emotional depth, highlighting the authenticity of the Indian segment alongside the compelling acting in the Australian scenes.

Certain reviewers pointed out a deceleration in pacing during parts of the movie. Anthony Lane of The New Yorker remarked that the latter half felt "slow and subdued" when compared to the more captivating first portion.

Awards and nominations

Lion was honored with six Oscar nominations at the 89th Academy Awards, including categories such as Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Patel), Best Supporting Actress (Kidman), and Best Adapted Screenplay. Although it did not secure any wins at the Oscars, it achieved two victories at the BAFTA Awards: Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Patel) and Best Adapted Screenplay. At the 7th AACTA Awards in Australia, the film swept all twelve categories it was nominated in, including Best Film.

External links

Official screenplay