Lion actor Sunny Pawar returns from Oscars, gets a royal welcome at Mumbai airport
Friends and family waiting for Sunny’s arrival at Mumbai Airport. Picture Courtesy: Subhash Namdeo
Child actor Sunny Pawar, who created waves at the 89th Academy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles with his ‘The Lion King’ act, returned home to a royal welcome as he stepped out of the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport on Wednesday morning.
Accompanied by his father Dilip Pawar – a former sweeper-turned-son’s business manager – Sunny sat on the trolley stacked high with his luggage.
He was wheeled out to a large number of people cheering and waving, as a media battalion braced for an encounter with the young celebrity.
Though appearing a bit weary from a long-haul flight, the eight-year-old was a bundle of energy, enthusiastically smiled and waved back at the people, as a couple of bouncers struggled to keep their valuable subject safe from the mobbing crowds.
Some emotional elderly family members and relatives garlanded him as he stepped out of the airport, offered him sweets and blessed the actor, who attended the star-studded awards ceremony on February 26.
“I am very happy and enjoyed attending the Oscars ceremony,” Sunny, who featured in the Oscar nominated Hollywood film ‘Lion’, told reporters. To another, he said: “I will continue to study and also pursue my acting career.”
The Class III student of Air Indian Model School, Kalina, was selected out of a nationwide talent-hunt around one and half years ago and finally cleared the auditions in Mumbai and Pune.
He was selected from 2,000 children across schools in India to play the role of the young Saroo Brierley in Garth Davis’ ‘Lion’. The elder version of Saroo in the film was played by Dev Patel.
His next, ‘Love Sonia’ him and another Mumbai girl Freida Pinto is ready for release later this year.
Highlight from his Oscar appearance:
jimmy kimmel lifting sunny pawar to the lion king’s circle of life is my favorite moment of the #Oscars so far pic.twitter.com/mrtoUhTBCG
— Common White Girl (@girlposts) February 27, 2017
More pictures of his arrival in Mumbai:
Sunny Pawar, child actor who starred in the Hollywood film #Lion, returned to Mumbai after attending #Oscars pic.twitter.com/zXK1gsTVNN
— ANI (@ANI_news) March 1, 2017
