The story of an Indian boy named Saru is well worthy of a movie adaptation. The child grew up in a poor family and already at the age of 4 began helping his older brother to sweep train cars.
One day Guddu put his little brother on a bench by the platform and told him to wait. Saroo dozed off, and when he woke up, his brother was gone, but there was a train standing in front. The boy climbed into the carriage, where he fell asleep again.
Thus began the young wanderer’s journey of 25 years. From the age of 4, Saru helped his brother to clean up the garbage. Guddu went on a part-time job and told his younger brother to wait for him on the platform. The boy fell asleep on a bench, and when he woke up, he saw the doors of a train car open. He climbed in and dozed off again.
And when he opened his eyes, there were trees and telegraph poles outside the windows – the train was picking up speed and was taking the boy away from his home.The child wandered on the street in the company of similar homeless children, until indifferent people took him to the center for homeless children. When asked what your name was, Saru could say only his first name.
The nameless toddler was considered an orphan, which allowed an Australian couple to file for guardianship and take the boy home with them.Saru was lucky to find shelter in loving and caring hands. He grew up quite happy, but never for a moment forgot his relatives in a faraway country. As he grew up, the young man graduated from university and went into business.
But he never abandoned the dream of finding his parents and returning home. Saroo carefully studied all the railroad tracks in India, looking at satellite photos in the hope to recognize his village. And after 25 years, he succeeded.
The young man bought a ticket and traveled to his native land. When he arrived, he found the house he was born in, and for a long time he stood hesitant to enter. At last the door opened, the mother came out and embraced her son. She immediately recognized her boy, as if he had left only yesterday.
Saru told his family the story and then returned to Australia, where he has lived ever since. Now he visits his Indian family every year.
And in 2013 Saroo Brierly wrote the book “The Long Walk Home”, which in 2016 was the basis for the plot of the movie “Lion”.