LOS ANGELES — Indian-origin British actor-filmmaker Dev Patel has quipped that he didn't think he would have won his own lookalike competition because the contestants who participated were "far more handsome" than he is.
The 34-year-old actor, who began his career playing Anwar Kharral in the teen drama “Skins” in 2007, said that he was "quite overwhelmed and very touched" when he heard about the competition, which took place in San Francisco last month.
He told variety.com: “I’m surprised more than five people showed up. I was quite overwhelmed by it and very touched. I also gotta say that I think most of the men who showed up were far more handsome and qualified than I am. I think I would have lost at my own lookalike contest, for sure."
The “Slumdog Millionaire” star, who has been feted with a British Academy Film Award and nominations for an Academy Award and two Golden Globe Awards, praised the contest as a "really amazing" idea but was shocked by the "sheer amount of people that showed up.”
Organisers had previously said they originally planned a Robert Pattinson lookalike competition but ultimately decided on Dev in order to represent their local Indian community and the 'Monkey Man' star was delighted to be associated with the contest, reports femalefirst.co.uk.
He said: “Hopefully, I am just the gateway to this happening to all sorts of brilliant actors of different races and genders. It was refreshing to see a community come together like that and, hey, if there is ever a moment where I can be associated with some form of laughter and joy, it’s great. It is all good.”
According to NBC News, the winner of the contest, 25-year-old Japireet Hundal won a whopping $50 cheque, a 'Monkey Man' statue and some flowers.
He said in his speech: “Shoutout to all the Dev Patel lookalikes. If the real Dev Patel shows up, I don’t know who would win, me or him.”
Sitara Bellam, who co-organised the event with Tasnim Khandakar, said she was "blown away" when hundreds of people turned up for the contest, especially as she had planned it "on a whim as a joke" in order to "centre and celebrate brown/ South Asian men."
She added to NBC News: "I was genuinely blown away by the crowd and the interest in the event."