While speaking to Variety at the Red Sea Festival in Saudi Arabia, Dev Patel reacted to how he felt about having his look-alike contest at Dolores Park in San Francisco on November 10. The actor was surprised that so many people showed up and said,
"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."
Jaipreet Hundal, 25, of San Jose won the contest and received $50 and a small monkey statue inspired by the actor's debut film, Monkey Man. The event was hosted by Sitara Bellam, 26, and Tasnim Khandakar, 27, and took inspiration from Timothee Chalamet's viral look-alike contest in October. While speaking to NBC News of the competition, Bellam said,
"I was genuinely blown away by the crowd and interest in this event."
She also mentioned that she planned the event "on a whim as a joke."
Khandakar, while speaking to the press added,
"I really feel like South Asian actors have been a little bit marginalized and I think now knowing that Dev Patel can create a crowd this big, this is positive."
"It was refreshing to see a community come together like that"
Dev Patel unfortunately did not attend the event but hoped that his look-alike event would create a gateway for brilliant actors of different races and genders.
"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."
His words come after his appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show on April 8, where the actor admitted that he was once "ashamed of his culture during his childhood.
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The actor said that being an Indian in school in greater London was "not the coolest" and that he did everything he could to "not to show that part." Dev Patel said after working on Slumdog Millionaire he was "not just going to double down, I'm going to triple down on the culture." Dev said that he wants to take all the "ugly bits and the vibrant bits" of his story.
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