Detailed Summary
The Train Ride That Changes Everything
Lion opens in 1986 India, where young Saroo lives in poverty but with a loving family. One day, he follows his older brother Guddu to search for work. Saroo falls asleep on a parked train, which unexpectedly begins moving and carries him 1,600 kilometers away to Calcutta, a city where he doesn’t speak the local language. This moment is both heartbreaking and pivotal, setting the course for the entire story.
Surviving Alone in Calcutta
Lost in a massive city, Saroo faces danger, exploitation, and hunger. He narrowly escapes traffickers and eventually ends up in a crowded orphanage. Though the system is flawed, an Australian couple adopts him, leading Saroo to a stable and safe home in Tasmania.
A New Life in Australia
Saroo grows up under the care of Sue and John Brierley, alongside another adopted boy, Mantosh. While Sue is deeply empathetic, Mantosh struggles emotionally. Saroo, meanwhile, thrives academically and socially, but deep inside carries a silent longing for his biological family.
The Google Earth Search Begins
As an adult, Saroo begins experiencing flashbacks to his childhood—a water tower, a quarry, the sound of his mother’s voice. When he learns about Google Earth, he begins an obsessive, years-long search to retrace the railway routes out of Calcutta based only on fragmented memories.
This section of the film powerfully shows the emotional weight of identity, belonging, and guilt, especially the guilt Saroo feels about accidentally abandoning his family.
Finding Home
After painstaking searching, Saroo recognizes landmarks from his childhood on Google Earth. The emotional climax begins when he travels back to India to seek out his hometown, Ganesh Talai, and locate his family.
Movie Ending
The ending delivers one of the most emotional resolutions in modern cinema.
Saroo arrives in India and walks through the streets of his childhood town. Everything is familiar yet changed. After asking locals, he’s finally led to his biological mother, who has never moved away, hoping he might one day return. Their reunion is deeply emotional and authentic, especially when Saroo learns that Guddu died the night he disappeared.
The film ends with real-life footage of the actual Saroo and his mothers (biological and adoptive). We also learn that Saroo’s mother never learned to read, which explains why she never found any leads. His reunion prompted thousands of families to seek their lost children.
The ending is complete, cathartic, and deeply respectful, tying together the film’s themes of identity, loss, and unconditional parental love.
Are There Post-Credits Scenes?
No, Lion does not include a post-credits scene. The film ends with title cards and real footage of the true story, but nothing follows after the credits begin rolling.
Type of Movie
Lion is a biographical drama based on a true story. It blends emotional storytelling with a grounded, realistic portrayal of identity, belonging, and the emotional cost of displacement.
Cast
- Dev Patel as adult Saroo Brierley
- Sunny Pawar as young Saroo
- Nicole Kidman as Sue Brierley
- Rooney Mara as Lucy
- David Wenham as John Brierley
- Abhishek Bharate as Guddu
- Priyanka Bose as Kamla Munshi (Saroo’s biological mother)
Film Music and Composer
The score was composed by Dustin O’Halloran and Volker Bertelmann (Hauschka). Their music heavily features piano and minimalistic strings, supporting the film’s emotional undercurrent without overwhelming it. The soundtrack is subtle, melancholic, and often quietly devastating.
Filming Locations and Their Importance
- India (Kolkata, Madhya Pradesh)
Used to authentically depict Saroo’s early life and the vastness of India’s landscapes and crowded cities. These locations carry emotional weight as they represent both danger and origin. - Australia (Tasmania, Melbourne)
Reflects safety, structure, and the new life Saroo builds. The visual contrast between the two countries mirrors his internal conflict. - Various railway lines in India
Critical to recreating Saroo’s disorienting journey and to represent the geographical scale of his displacement.
Awards and Nominations
Lion was widely acclaimed and received numerous award recognitions, including:
- 6 Academy Award nominations
Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Dev Patel), Best Supporting Actress (Nicole Kidman), Best Score, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography - BAFTA wins for Best Supporting Actor (Patel) and Best Adapted Screenplay
- Golden Globe nominations across acting and score categories
Though it didn’t win major Oscars, it remains a standout critical success.
Behind the Scenes Insights
- Sunny Pawar didn’t speak English when cast; Dev Patel helped him through scenes using gestures and simple cues.
- Nicole Kidman was moved by the script partly because she herself has adopted children.
- The production team visited the real Ganesh Talai to recreate it faithfully.
- Dev Patel trained for months to perfect Saroo’s Australian accent.
- Many scenes involving young Saroo were shot with minimal direction to maintain naturalism.
Inspirations and References
The movie is based on Saroo Brierley’s memoir, A Long Way Home.
The story itself is true, and the book goes deeper into:
- His years-long emotional struggle
- Detailed memories and dreams
- The psychological impact of adoption and identity loss
The film stays faithful to the core narrative but tightens the timeline and emotional beats.
Alternate Endings and Deleted Scenes
Several scenes were filmed but not included:
- A longer opening showing more of Saroo’s daily life in India
- Expanded scenes of Saroo struggling in Calcutta
- A more prolonged final reunion sequence that was shortened for pacing
No alternate ending with a different outcome was ever planned, as the filmmakers wanted to maintain factual accuracy.
Book Adaptations and Differences
Key differences between the book and the film:
- The book goes deeper into Saroo’s emotional turmoil and psychological burden.
- His Google Earth search is far more detailed in the book.
- His relationship with Lucy (in the movie) is a composite of multiple real-life relationships.
- Mantosh’s struggles are expanded more in the book.
The film adapts the emotional core faithfully but condenses events for narrative flow.
Memorable Scenes and Quotes
Key Scenes
- Young Saroo waking up alone on the speeding train.
- Saroo escaping traffickers in Calcutta.
- The haunting orphanage sequences.
- Saroo’s emotional breakdown during his Google Earth search.
- The final reunion with his mother, one of the most moving scenes in modern cinema.
Iconic Quotes
- “I’m lost.”
- “We didn’t do the right thing for a reason. We did it because we love you.” – Sue
- “I’m not from Calcutta. I’m lost.”
- “I found my home.”
Easter Eggs and Hidden Details
- Many shots of Saroo looking into mirrors emphasize identity fragmentation.
- The repeated focus on water symbolizes memory, cleansing, and emotional rebirth.
- The film uses a warmer color palette in India and cooler tones in Australia to mirror emotional states.
- The real Saroo and his mother appear at the end, grounding the story in its true origin.
Trivia
- Dev Patel said this was the hardest role of his career due to the emotional and accent challenges.
- Sunny Pawar was chosen from over 4,000 children during casting.
- The Google Earth scenes were recreated using older map datasets to match Saroo’s actual search timeline.
- Nicole Kidman said this was one of her most personal roles.
Why Watch?
Lion is an unforgettable emotional journey about identity, resilience, and family. Its blend of authentic performances, heartbreaking realism, and triumphant conclusion make it a film that lingers long after the credits. It is especially powerful if you enjoy true stories told with honesty rather than melodrama.
Director’s Other Movies
- Mary Magdalene (2018)
- Foe (2023)
Recommended Films for Fans
- Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
- The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
- Room (2015)
- Philomena (2013)
