"We are all destiny's children," Saroo Brierly tells SBS Hindi.
Saroo is the author of the autobiographical book, A Long Way Home, which has now been made into a major Hollywood film Lion.
In an exclusive interview with SBS Hindi, Saroo talks about the ghosts that haunted him from his childhood in India.
Saroo had mistakenly boarded a train at his village station at the age of 5 thinking that his older brother was on the train.
The train changed Saroo's destiny as he reached 1,600 kms away in Calcutta, where he roamed the streets alone, struggling to survive.
Almost like a leaf out of Charles Dickens’ Oliver, little Saroo escaped the clutches of some dark characters with evil intent. But this true story has a more positive twist too.
Sunny Pawar Source: Transmission Films
Saroo was fortunate to be adopted by an Australian couple.
The Brierly's adopted him and brought him to Australia. They brought him up in Tasmania and gave him a new life and hope - but the very human quest to find one's roots never left Saroo.
"It's an amazing film, depicted extremely well," Saroo says of the film. "Nicole Kidman, David Wenham and Dev Patel do an amazing job."
"What you see is the truth. It's a real-life story which is an anthem of love."
Growing up, Saroo says he was constantly haunted by the memories of his mother, younger sister and the community spirit of the village.
Nicole Kidman, David Wenham und Sunny Pawar in "Lion" Source: Transmission Films
"The memories were of nurturing my sister - because she was only three-years-old," said Saroo.
"Also of seeing my mum slave away so hard and coming back home and trying to feed all us children when she couldn't really - [in spite of] working so hard to do so."
"Also, the feel of community - of everyone working together. We lived in the slums - lower echelon of society, yet there was this feeling of togetherness - even though we were at the bottom of society."
Despite his find memories of his hometown, he couldn't even remember the name of the village he had come from - as he didn't have the words.
"I never went to school, I never articulated words very well and my best friend was my sister who was only two-and-a-half/ three years old, so you couldn't really have a conversation with her - so it was very hard."
As an adult he stumbled onto Google Earth, and used his memories to retrace his journey and, eventually, reunite with his family – 25 years after losing them.
Sue and Saroo Brierley Source: SBS
Ultimately Saroo reached the village where he was born and met his biological mother.
When he saw her, Saroo says he felt it "In a flash - even though it was 25 years later and oceans apart," he knew it was his mother.
"It was amazing," says Saroo. "I was looking eye-to-eye with this woman - and I get it within seconds, 'this is my mother'."
"She saw me 25 years earlier and I was chasing my little sister around and now all of a sudden I just vanished - like a ghost.
"Then, 25 years later, I rematerialized on a Sunday afternoon - and there I am with tears just running down my face."
"My dream has sincerely come true."
SBS Hindi was keen to know what was the over-riding emotion when he met his mother and, not knowing Hindi, how did he communicate with her?
Saroo Brierly with his mother and sister in India Source: Tasmania Arts
Saroo explains that "it was more physical."
He says he hugged his mother and could not speak the language but thought, "You may have looked for me, but I too looked for you in my memories for 25 years."
So does Saroo now identify as Indo-Australian?
"Well I've been here for 29 years and I'd have to say my heritage - and my palette - is Indian. But being in the culture of Australia, I love Australia, it's where my heart is, where my family is.
"But I also love my heritage of India as well - and the food!"
Saroo also has a message for other children who might be from adopted backgrounds too: "Listen to your dreams," he says.
"Listen to your gut feelings, because at the end of the day, we're all destiny's children."
Listen to SBS Hindi's exclusive podcast (in English) in conversation with Saroo Brierly:
Saroo's story is now a Hollywood film starring Dev Patel, Nicole Kidman and Sunny Pawar. The film has received numerous accolades world over and has been nominated for Oscars this year.
Watch the trailer for LION here:
