Beginner’s Luck

“Until then,I only gave a cursory glance at these kids,” he says over phone from Mumbai. So how is he taking in the news? “It is still hard for me and my school friends to digest. Since I suffer from stage fright,I used to stay away even from oratory competitions. To win such an honour is something special,” says Patel.

Thanks Maa,which might just rival Slumdog Millionaire’s depiction of Mumbai slums,revolves around Municipality Ghatkopar and his gang of friends who find an abandoned baby boy in a garbage dump and their search for his mother. Municipality Ghatkopar overturned Patel’s routine of textbooks and tuitions,video games at his PlayStation and weekend soccer. Two years ago,when Kamal,his uncle,decided on the movie,he found his street hero in Patel,then an 11-year-old who worshipped Man U and Barcelona .

Patel underwent a month-long workshop,grew his hair,memorised street slang and noticed the mannerisms of street kids by being in their company. “A member of the crew would always advise me on the basics of acting,” says Patel. The shoot was done in actual locations in Mumbai to capture the hustle-bustle of the city,like the teeming crowds at Lal Bagh during Ganesh Chathurti processions. Since hidden cameras were used in crowded locations and in the majority of shots,Patel says he never felt he was being filmed. Often the hero became just a boy. “When I would hold the baby in my arms during shooting I felt a sense of responsibility. But that soon disappeared once he wetted my shirt,” Patel laughs.

Kamal says Patel wasn’t cast because he is his nephew. “That’s a coincidence. I was searching for actors with permanent addresses as many of the street kids would abscond on the day of the shoot,” says Kamal. As Patel absorbs the impact of his award, he is open to future projects. “If the role is nice I would like to act,but not at the cost of studies,” he says.