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If only Google had a program for doing all that, too.
I was nearly crying listening to him tell the story, she recalls.
Credit: The Weinstein Company/Everett Collection
I was like, Ihaveto do this.'
Plus, she had braced herself for the challenging casting.
Here, she remembers how she and her team castLions smallest star.
Mark Rogers
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Lets start with the obvious question: Howdid you find Sunny?
And thenweflew over to India and did callbacks with those 200 children in three different cities.
It was a very thorough process.
The Weinstein Company/Everett Collection
You cant miss anybody.
How many actors did you have on that final list?
I would say the two final Saroos were equally talented.
What was the two-minute scene they had to perform?
That was the main thing for Garth.
Overacting is overacting in any language, it turned out.
Aside from finding someone who came off natural, what were you looking for when casting Saroo?
We were very aware of that and so we allowed a lot of time.
Sunny was just a little champion.
What do you remember about Sunnys auditions?
I graded everybody from those tapes, and I put them in a little workbook with photos and notes.
Oh my God, his little husky voice!
I just love him.
But you know, you might only get so much from a two-minute tape.
Did you cast Sunny before casting Dev Patel as his older counterpart?
That was another thing.
Whoever played Saroo also had to share a realistic bond with the boy who played his brother Guddu.
How did you test these actors chemistry?
What are Sunnys chances of landing a lot more roles after this first one for him?
He has another film,Love Sonia, lined up for 2017.
Have you ever talked to him about his budding career?
Hes already a star.
[Laughs] Oh my God, I would take him, too.
Well, if he can remember me.
I dont think actors sometimes realize how emotionally invested casting directors get.
And he looked at me blankly and hadno ideawho I was!
[Laughs] But of course not.
Ofcoursehe didnt remember me.
But yeah, my heart broke a little bit.
