Children in India

Rating: 8/10 (26 February 2019)

Imagine being separated from your family in a third world country, never to see them again. Then add in the fact that you're a 5 year old kid, who wakes up on a hot, empty train with only scraps of food and water. Despite all your cries for help, nobody does anything, and the few bystanders you pass simply stare as you scream. When the train finally comes to a stop, people push each other as they rush into the train car, and after managing not to get trampled you realize you have no idea where you are, no idea what language everybody else is speaking, and nobody seems to care about you.
Fast forward 25 years. You're a grown man, with a loving family and a stable relationship in Australia. But despite your new life, you can't shake the urge to find your biological mother, who's still in India searching for you, and the brother who called your name everyday for the past 25 years. And so, you embark on your journey to find them despite how impossible it may seem. Following only faint memories, you're willing to destroy your happy new life in Australia just for the chance to see your family one more time.
Armed with vague memories and Google Maps, Saroo finds his home through sheer determination and perseverance, and like the character development throughout the film, India has changed drastically - But it hasn't in the eyes of Saroo, who's once again a young boy running around the streets with his brother.
A gripping tale of strong emotions and painfully true scenes, Lion expresses the cruel conditions of India especially towards children that nobody seems to talk about. From the apathetic bystanders, pedophiles running around the streets, and the orphanage run by child abusers, one can't help but wonder "How can this be true? Why isn't anybody doing anything about it?"