British-Indian actor Dev Patel, who shot to fame with critically-acclaimed film Slumdog Millionaire (2008), in a recent interview, confessed that he is tired of being criticised for "stealing" roles from "real" Indian actors.
The 28-year-old actor in an interaction with an international publication said,"I get flak sometimes because people will say, 'Why aren't they giving these roles to a real Indian?' I wonder, What does that even mean? The only way I can converse with my grandparents is in Gujarati. Does that make me real enough? Or am I only allowed to witness the moments of prejudice and racism going through airports? Is that the only bit that I'm allowed of the culture?''
"The truth is I'm trying to understand myself better and my heritage, to figure things out, in the movie choices I make. That's been the greatest thing for me in going to India repeatedly," he added.
The actor has previously said that he "reconnected" with his Indian roots when he acted in Slumdog Millionaire. Later he was reported saying that he could never really fit in as the locals "could smell the foreigner on me".
Dev Patel, who was born in London to Gujarati parents, said that he is trying to understand himself better by connecting to his heritage.