Los Angeles, Jan 12 (IANS): Director Garth Davis says that he put actor Dev Patel "through hell in his house" for the film "Lion".
"I just wanted to see if Dev could do something that wasn't ‘Marigold Hotel'," Davis said about the audition process, reports variety.com.
"I put him through hell in his house in London; we had this acting workshop and he was just astonishing in that room."
"Lion" is based on Saroo Brierley's best selling autobiography "A Long Way Home". It is a true story about an Indian boy who falls asleep on a train only to wake up and realise he is miles away from home in a strange land where he does not speak the language.
He experiences many challenges before getting adopted by a couple in Australia. Years later, he sets out to find his lost family.
The film is releasing in India on February 24.