- He was born Sheru Munshi Khan but referred to as Saroo Brierley for the best part of his life because he lost his roots at the age of 5.
- His journey towards finding his birthplace and family was chronicled in his book ‘A Long Way Home’ and the movie, ‘Lion’.
- Saroo spent 5 of his 25 years away from home, in search of answers that would lead him to where his heart really was.
Saroo Brierley is an Indian-born Australian businessman, author, and inspirational speaker whose fame was pioneered by his inspirational journey. This journey was of him retracing his steps back home.
He remembers his story started at the age of 5 and as of 2012, he was already about 30 years old. Saroo lived a quarter of a decade away from his family and birth home. His story is one that has motivated a lot of people as well as led so many others to tears.
Though unaware of how old he is for lack of a birth certificate, the Indian is way over 30 years and into his 40s. Brierley was a disturbed child whose goal in life one time, was to be with his long-lost family. Though adopted by loving parents, he still sought a belonging he didn’t get in Australia.
What Is The Story Behind Saroo Brierley’s Rise To Fame?
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As a young boy born in India in the 1980s, Saroo grew up in Ganesh Talai, Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh. He was born Sheru Munshi Khan to a Hindu mother and Muslim father. In his community, they mostly fed from hand to mouth and children would resort to begging or stealing.
This was the fate of the young Brierley whose father abandoned his family when he was barely 3 years old. Saroo’s dad who was a Muslim man abandoned his mother and 4 kids and remarried another woman. The young man was the last boy and had two older brothers and a younger sister. The names of his siblings are; Guddu, Kallu, Shekila.
At the cruel reality that their construction-worker dad was no longer going to fend for them, the kids had to fend for themselves. Saroo and his brothers began to work odd jobs and even beg, in other to get food to eat.
Their mum who is known as Kamala Munshi also worked in construction but she barely made enough to cater to her kids. She encouraged her kids to beg from neighbors so they’ll have what to eat.
However, the story of how he became a famous inspiration began when he followed his eldest brother to the train station in search of loose money. The boys rode on to the train station where they hoped to get money from strangers traveling by train.
After sleeping off and losing connection with his brother, Brierley’s journey farther away from home began. In a search for his brother, he took a train that carried him to another city, miles away from home. Saroo was just 5 years old and an illiterate who couldn’t quite communicate well.
Saroo, Away From Home
With a keen sense and the photographic memory he felt he had, Saroo Brierley began to venture farther away from home. His journey to the train station with his brother was one of these ventures that the Indian native took.
In the course of their search, the brothers separated as Saroo, being tired, decided to nap. Guddu still pumped continued on the quest and allowed his brother to sleep by the train station. He however promised the young Munshin that he would be back for him. Upon waking up, the younger brother of Guddu started his own search for his older brother and hopped on a train.
This train took the young lad far away from home to a town known as Calcutta. Sheru tried to retrace his journey back home but it proved difficult because he couldn’t remember where he was from. After many failed attempts at returning home, he became a street urchin.
Living off leftovers and trash found on the street, Saroo Brierley survived on the streets of Calcutta until he was taken to an orphanage home where he would eventually meet his adopted parents. John and Sue Brierley were Australian immigrants who wanted to adopt children in order to prove a point.
Living As Part Of The Brierley
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Saroo Brierley was adopted at the age of 6 and went on to live with his new foster parents in Hobart, Australia. He was the first of the couple’s children and he was treated well. After about 4 years, Mr. and Mrs. John adopted another Indian boy and this became the family Saroo knew.
He grew up and went to college and became well educated. However, while he grew, went through school, and navigated through life, he never forgot home. Sheru’s mind and heart were still back home where he couldn’t even remember.
Though part of a new family, he searched earnestly for his birth home. He wasn’t totally happy because he felt off though welcomed. He still felt like the adopted Indian in a European country.
His adopted parents were business people who owned a company and their first son helped there. He worked with and for his parents and was equally a businessman. SarooBrierley grew so much in confidence and stature but still felt a huge part of him missing.
Khan’s Journey To Reuniting With His Family
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Khan spent 25 years with his adopted parents before he was able to find his way home. Through the years, he kept searching for hints and traces that would lead him home. He made ‘Google Earth’ his best friend and for years, he searched thoroughly for his birthplace.
Eventually, with the help of his friend, Lisa, he was able to make headway and locate his hometown. Additionally, his vague memories about where he used to play, activities, and experiences he had in certain distinct areas, helped his search.
He sought help through a community on Facebook as well and eventually was able to recognize an area in Khandwa. With the information gathered, the Indian who had begun to retrace his steps began to make way to return home. Munshi got the necessary information on how to get to his hometown and boarded a plane to India.
Upon his arrival, the street boy turned businessman couldn’t quite recognize the streets because it had been over 2 decades and significant changes had occurred. However, with his little memory of street turns and landmarks, he tried to ‘follow the breadcrumbs’.
This proved successful as he made his way to the house he used to know to be home. Unfortunately, he was met with the news that his family no longer lived there. However, a neighbor was kind enough to take him to his mother and this was the point where Sheru reunited with Fatima.
Kamala, Saroo’s mother had converted from Hindi to Islam and had taken up the name ‘Fatima’. They both recognized each other and there was a huge sense of relief in both of them.
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His Rise To Being The Famous Brierley Saroo
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Saroo Brierley met his mum who sent for neighbors and family to come and see her long-lost son. He was met by his younger sister and older brother Kallu. His siblings had gone on to start their own families and Saroo realized he was an uncle.
However, someone from their family was missing. His oldest brother Guddu was nowhere to be found. When asked about him, he was given the sad news that a week after he went missing, his brother died.
Gudda was run over by a train while he was at the train station and the parts of his body available were returned to his family. This news saddened the Australian but he was comforted with the fact that he was able to trace his roots.
However, Sheru Munshi Khan’s fame came to be when he finally wrote a book about his life and journey. He wrote a memoir titled ‘A Long Way Home’ which was written by the Indian and published on the 24th of June 2013. However, it was re-released into the international scene in 2014.
By 2016, the book had gotten wide acknowledgment that it was made into a movie titled ‘Lion’. Some roles were represented by very famous Hollywood actors. Saroo’s foster mother was portrayed by Nicole Kidman and his dad was played by Dev Patel.
This rise to fame is evident in how the young man portrayed his story in his book. Reuniting with his family was the highlight of his life and he felt the need to share his story. Given that a lot of Indian kids get missing yearly, this was a great and unexpected feat.
Here Are Some Other Facts About Saroo Brierley’s Rise To Fame
1. The Story Of Sheru In The Movie ‘Lion’ Got Nominated For 6 Oscar Awards
‘Lion’ the movie which was released based on the true-life story of Sheru Munshi Khan won itself 6 Oscar nominations in 2016. It was nominated for ‘Best Motion Picture’ amongst others and Dev Patel even won a nomination for his role in the movie during the ‘Academy Awards’ for Best Supporting actor.
The movie was widely acclaimed and made waves in India and Australia. It also saw the shoot to stardom of the young boy Sunny Pawar who played the role of young Saroo.
2. His Adopted Mother Was Inspired To Write A Book
Inspired by her foster son’s story, Sue Brierley also wrote her a book that mirrored her own journey as the parent of the Indian-born. She wrote about her struggles coming from a dysfunctional family and how her family migrated to Australia.
Additionally, she told the story of how she raised two Indian boys with her husband and the challenges she had.
3. His Fame Did Not Change Much About His Life Nor That Of His Family
Though he got a lot of recognition and fame for his story and he has earned quite a lot in royalties, the spotlight did not change him much. Neither did the fame change his family. They still continued their businesses only this time, they attended red carpet events for Award ceremonies.
Fatima, now a mother to a famous author, still preferred to continue her work even as she had a house to her name and a lot of money in her account. The Brierley family also continued to manage and push their family business too.
4. Saroo Brierley Did Not Immediately Look For His Dad When He Returned To India
The returnee wasn’t so hyped about looking for his dad who maltreated his mother and abandoned his family. He knew his father was still alive and where he was but he didn’t want to see him yet.
However, when he was ready, he would go on to document the search for his dad as well.
5. How His Story Has A Lot Of Lessons
Saroo has become an inspiration to a lot of people. The story about how he sought his family was quite an inspiration and people felt emotional reading the book as well as watching the movie.
However, the inspiration he gave stems from how he never gave up in his quest to be reunited with his family. He also sheds light on the living status of the Indians and how life is for a young Indian boy.
Also his foster mother, through Saroo Brierley’s story, was able to shed light about adoption, its challenges, and eventual perks. Sue, through her story, was able to tell how adopting her sons from India felt no different from birthing the child.
