Original Data Provided By: Omid Kashan, DM, David McCandless Karl Webster, Dr Stephanie Starling Subtitles Compiled By: BreadCodes
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TRUE Lion was filmed on location Ganesh Talai & West Bengal. IMDB
TRUE-ISH Lion is definitely based on a true story. Just how closely we're about to find out. The landscape in which Saroo grew up is the same as in this scene, & in the book of his life, Saroo talks about chasing butterflies, if not quite standing amongst them in this fashion. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch2
TRUE Saroo & his brother certainly spent time out & about, although not that much, as they had a middle brother, Kallu, who was closer to Guddu in age, & usually Saroo was left at home with his younger sister. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch2
FALSE-ISH This is never mentioned in the book & it's the kind of thing Saroo would have mentioned, particularly if it had happened on this very special day. Life was hard, however, & they did have to beg & steal as well as doing whatever work they could find in order to eat. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch2
FALSE-ISH Quite a lot of licence appears to have been taken here but the spirit of the scene is true & although it didn't happen, it's true that it didn't happen in Khandwa in 1986. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch2
TRUE-ISH Nothing like this is reported as happening on this day, but it's the kind of thing that may have happened in general. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch2
FALSE This is a creation of the filmmakers, designed to set up an important flashback for Saroo in 20 years' time. But it didn't happen. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch2
FALSE-ISH Saroo actually describes what happened on this evening, & there was no illicit milk involved. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch2
FALSE-ISH Something similar could have happened at some point but it definitely didn't happen today. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch2
TRUE Saroo's mum did leave them alone — "perhaps to see if she could get us some more food", writes Saroo — & he was often responsible for his sister's welfare. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch2
TRUE On this particular night, Guddu was leaving as he usually did, to go to a neighbouring town where he would look for work & usually sleep there. Unusually, Saroo did ask his brother if he could accompany him on this night. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch2
FALSE-ISH Rather than argue with Saroo, Guddu "thought about it for a moment & then agreed". A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch2
FALSE None of this happened. There was no argument. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch2
TRUE Saroo remembered this ride vividly as it was the first time he had accompanied Guddu on such a ride at this time of night. He even recalls Guddu's friend shouting his name, as he felt proud to be out with his brother. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch2
TRUE Saroo writes that the train pulled in noisily & they scuttled aboard & made themselves comfortable. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch2
TRUE-ISH Although this is the kind of thing they will have done, there is no mention of it on this particular occasion in the book. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch2
TRUE They did find an empty carriage & Saroo did fall asleep, but there is no mention of a coin. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch2
TRUE Saroo did insist that he couldn't go on without a rest & he did lie down on a bench on the platform. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch2
TRUE Guddu did leave him there & did say he would be back, but the jalebis thing is made up, & also Guddu wasn't on his way to lift bales. He spent most of his time in this town. This was a normal night for him. He told Saroo he had to do a few things. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch2
TRUE It seems there was a little less exploration & calling out of his brother's name in reality, but Saroo did board the train, figuring it was the one that would take them back home & that Guddu would come back & find him on there. So he got on & went straight to sleep. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch2
TRUE-ISH The train was not quite deserted in reality, & Saroo didn't call out for his brother. He just got on, found an empty carriage & went back to sleep. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch2
TRUE After a second of feeling happy that he might be on his way home, this is exactly what happened. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch2
TRUE He kept looking out of the window to see if he recognised anything but became increasingly scared. He writes: "I wept & slept & sometimes looked out of the window." A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch2
TRUE-ISH Although there is no mention of this in Saroo's account, it's not unreasonable that something of this nature occurred. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch2, 7
FALSE-ISH Although he says the train occasionally stopped & he did shout for help, he also says "somehow no-one ever saw me". A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch2
TRUE-ISH Saroo never wrote about a storm or an apple core, but he admits his memories of that journey were not great. He was convinced he'd only travelled for 12-15 hours, but in reality, it must've been nearer 30. So even though he was used to hunger, he must have looked for food. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch2
TRUE Saroo watched out of the window as the train arrived in Calcutta (as it was then) & hundreds or thousands of people came into view on the platform. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch2
TRUE-ISH He did leave the train when the door opened & he did start asking people for his home town, although there is no mention in the book of climbing anything or shouting for his family. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch2
FALSE Nah, he never did any of this. What he did was more interesting but less cinematic. For a couple of weeks he tried to catch a train back home, so kept jumping trains to different places & ending up back in Calcutta. Poor little blighter. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch2
TRUE-ISH More or less true. After a couple of weeks of living in the station & taking trains in the day, he slept close to a bunch of street kids he'd already seen quite a few times. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch2
FALSE In reality "the children weren't welcoming" & he writes of one time he slept on "a hard wooden seat close to them". A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch2
TRUE This scene is pretty much exactly as it is described in the book. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch2
TRUE-ISH He ran straight down a platform (which is where they were in reality, rather than in a covered subway) & jumped off the end & onto the tracks. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch2
FALSE-ISH There was no gate & no guard. Rather, Saroo ran off down the tracks. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch2
TRUE-ISH Having jumped onto the train track, Saroo is almost hit by a train, flattening himself against a wall for a long time, the train being composed of many carriages. Much more exciting than a silly old bus. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch2
TRUE-ISH Although it was very different to the one in the film, Saroo did come across a temple at one point. (Not on the night he was chased from the station though.) However, on that night he did come across some sleeping holy men on a riverbank. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch2
TRUE-ISH Again, it didn't happen yet & when it did, it happened under a bridge & was on a much smaller scale, with pictures & little statues on wooden planks. (Plus the goddess was on a tiger, not a lion.) But he did eat the fruit. (And took coins.) A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch2
TRUE-ISH On another occasion, he slept close to a shrine under a bridge & when he woke up, there was a holy man meditating. He was later joined by others. So it has the essence of truth. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch2
TRUE He actually walked along the river bank for the first time the previous evening, the first night he'd left the station, after a couple of weeks being in Calcutta. & yes, he saw many things. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch2
FALSE This whole cardboard thing never happened in real life. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch3
TRUE Cardboard aside, Saroo walked the streets for months & would often gravitate towards the tracks as they held for him the possibility of returning home. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch3
TRUE-ISH One time Saroo was sitting on the railways tracks, a railway worker approached him & was kind to him. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch3
FALSE-ISH This is a fictionalised version of what happened with the railway worker, but it's very far removed from the reality. He was actually taken to a shack next to the tracks. No kite. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch3
FALSE-ISH Saroo actually stayed for three nights with the railway worker & his fellow workers in a shack made of corrugated iron & cardboard. There is no mention of dinner-time conversation however. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch3
FALSE The reality of this meeting was a lot less glamorous. It wasn't set in an apartment & it didn't include anything as luxurious as fizzy orange. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch3
FALSE There was no Noor. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch3
TRUE-ISH The railway man on whom Noor is based promised Saroo on his second day with him that he'd arranged for a man to visit & that this man would be able to help him. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch3
TRUE The details are all wrong but the thrust is right. A man came & lay down with Saroo making lots of promises. Saroo played along but intuited that the man was bad news. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch3
FALSE-ISH None of this is real. The relationship between Noor (who didn't exist) & Rama (who kind of did) didn't exist. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch3
FALSE None of this happened. All of this scene is totally made up. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch3
TRUE-ISH Again, the details are invented, but something similar did happen. On his third night in the railway worker's shack, awaiting the return of the creepy man, Saroo made a run for it. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch3
TRUE-ISH Saroo was chased by a couple of the railways workers & he hid in a sewerage pipe to get away from them. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch3
TRUE Enough of this scene is true to mark it true. Saroo's mother did move rocks for a living, he almost certainly helped her at some stage, & he must have thought constantly about his mother as he slept rough in Calcutta. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch3
TRUE Although he doesn't say exactly how long he was on the streets (probably because he doesn't know), a couple of months seems reasonable. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch2-4
FALSE-ISH There is no mention of any of this in the book. Though it is likely Saroo foraged extensively for food & valuables. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley
FALSE A reference to the butterflies in the opening scene maybe, but a made-up one. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley
FALSE The spoon thing appears in an early version of the script, but unfortunately, in real life, it never really happened. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley Original script by Luke Davies
FALSE-ISH Saroo saw lots of dead bodies during his time in Calcutta, which was very much more harrowing than is portrayed in the film, but he never writes about seeing a funeral. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley
FALSE All of this stuff with the spoon is a way of enlivening a very simple meeting with the teenage boy who ends up taking Saroo to the police station. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch4
FALSE This is a lovely little scene, but completely invented. He met the boy who took him to the police in the street. The boy was pushing a cart & just started talking to Saroo quite randomly. No spoon. No café. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch4
FALSE Saroo never met a man in a café. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch4
TRUE-ISH Saroo met a boy about his brother Guddu's age (15), who looked after him for a couple of days & then took him to the police. Once there, Saroo was unable to answer their questions. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch4
FALSE-ISH In reality, Saroo was locked in a cell overnight, then taken to a building where "official-looking people" asked questions, filled in forms & declared him lost. His first photograph was taken a month later by the adoption agency. (Also, the date is wrong. It was April 21st.) A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch4, 11
TRUE Saroo was taken to a children's home & may have been given a haircut although it seems unlikely. The place was pretty brutal — much more so than is portrayed in the film. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch4
TRUE Pretty much, but in reality, the dorms were much more packed & from the description in the book, it's unlikely Saroo ever had a bed of his own (or a clean white vest). A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch4
FALSE Saroo doesn't mention any friends at Liluah (the juveline detention centre in question). Rather he mentions bullying & beatings from both children & staff. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch4
TRUE Although the classroom part may not be true, Saroo writes that the centre was basically a dumping ground for mentally ill & disabled kids, as well as criminals, gang members & lost kids. A kid banging his head is very believable. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch4
TRUE-ISH Although Saroo doesn't write about this exact incident, it seems likely he saw similar things. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch4
TRUE-ISH All of the scenes in the detention centre are specific stories made up by the scriptwriter to convey the non-specific details conveyed in the book. There were, however, kids "acting crazily" & kids being abused. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch4
FALSE Saroo makes no mention of a tender dead-of-night singalong & it doesn't seem likely in the kind of place he describes. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch4
TRUE After a few weeks in Liluah, Saroo was moved to a much less brutal place, a pre-adoption orphanage called Nava Jeevan, where he met Mrs Sood. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch4
TRUE ISSA, the adoption agency, published a photo of Saroo in two newspapers in June 1987, but recieved no response. Mrs Sood did explain this to Saroo. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch4
TRUE This is near enough what happened, although it happened in a different place. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch4
TRUE Saroo was actually given a "bewitching little red photograph album" rather than a single photo, & he writes of accepting that he wouldn't see his family again at this point surprisingly readily. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch4
FALSE-ISH He writes of accepting that he wouldn't see his family again at this point surprisingly readily. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch4
TRUE-ISH Saroo met a little girl in pre-adoption place on whom Amita is probably based. She was called Asra & was also up for adoption in Australia. Saroo & Asra shared some poignant moments preparing for their new lives. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch4
TRUE-ISH The pre-adoption kids were taken to a nice house where a woman they were told to address as "Aunty Ula" taught them basic table manners but no English. Saroo writes: "I think I was taught to say 'Hello', but there was no time for more than that." A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch4
TRUE There were actually 4 adoption officials & 8 kids in total but let's not split hairs. He did fly to Australia in a Tasmania T-shirt, which had been sent to the adoption agency by the Brierleys. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch4
TRUE-ISH All of this happened as it did in the film, except there were 8 kids & various families & it happened in Melbourne. They had to take another flight to Hobart, but that was obviously deemed unnecessarily complicated for a cinema audience. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch4
TRUE They actually stayed in a hotel in Melbourne for a night, then flew to Hobart, before driving home, but it did happen. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch5
TRUE Saroo doesn't mention this happening exactly, but frankly, it must have happened on his first day in a new home so different to everything else he had known. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch5
FALSE This refers back to the English lessons he never had at the orphanage that wasn't portrayed in the film. As such, it can't be said to have happened. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch4
TRUE Again, although this isn't mentioned in the book, it seems only fair to surmise that scenes very close to this must have taken place. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley
TRUE Saroo writes of being taken out on the family catamaran often. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch4
TRUE Saroo writes of having a very active outdoor life with his adoptive parents & he speaks of playing cricket at other times, both in India & Australia. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley
TRUE-ISH Saroo was 10 by the time Mantosh arrived, so it was much longer than the "one year later" implied in the film. There is also no mention of the picture Saroo drew, but it seems reasonable that he will have drawn one. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch5
TRUE Although Saroo doesn't write about meeting Mantosh at the airport, we know that Mantosh was affected by some horrific experiences, so this scene rings perfectly true. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch5
This is not known but seems reasonable. Again, this isn't mentioned in the book, but it seems perfectly reasonable. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch5
TRUE Mantosh frequently acted out physically & had to be restrained. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch5
TRUE This scene is not specifically recounted in the book but again, it must have happened. Saroo speaks of receiving much less attention once Mantosh arrived. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch5
It may have happened. There is no mention of this in the book but it would be churlish to insist that it never happened, or indeed that it did. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley
TRUE Saroo grew up loving the water. He even loved it in India, before he could swim, which resulted in a couple of near-drownings in Calcutta. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch4-5
FALSE-ISH Aside from the fact that Saroo went to Canberra rather than Melbourne, he makes no mention of Mantosh missing a goodbye lunch. It seems likely, however, that a goodbye lunch did take place. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch7
May have happened, but is not recorded. Although there may well have been occasions such as this one, Saroo makes no mention of them, neither just before leaving to study, nor indeed ever. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley
TRUE-ISH He actually went to study hospitality in Canberra. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch7
FALSE Lucy, you will be sad to hear, is a totally fictitious love interest that scriptwriters apparently insist on. Saroo mentions having girlfriends, but none during the 18 months he spent in Canberra. We feel betrayed. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch7
FALSE-ISH Saroo doesn't dwell on his studies in Canberra, but we can assume that there was an introductory seminar at some point. But Lucy wasn't there. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch7
TRUE-ISH Although not specifically referenced, Saroo writes about studying with many international students of Indian origin, a fact that brought his ethnicity to the forefront & saw him talking about his past like never before. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch7
FALSE Saroo didn't really care for Lucy at all, mostly on account of her not existing. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch7
FALSE This is one of the few scenes in the film that actually rings as false as it is. It also seems like a pale imitation of the Spike Jonze short film "How They Get There". A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch7
FALSE There was no Saroo & Lucy. This relationship is not true. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch7
TRUE Although this particular party seems to be an imagined gathering, Saroo had a large social circle of Indian friends & became immersed in Indian culture as a result. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch7
FALSE Something similar may have happened as Saroo became immersed in Indian culture for the first time, but his Mum & Dad saw that he & Mantosh ate a lot of Indian food growing up, so maybe not. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch7
FALSE This is a beautiful scene full of swirling Proustian sensuousness as Saroo's past is conjured up by this heartbreaking sweetmeat. Sadly, it never happened. There is not a single mention of jalebis in the source material. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch7
FALSE None of this happened. Not only was Lucy not real, but the real Saroo didn't seem to have the profound melancholia bubbling under the surface that is suggested in this scene. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch7
FALSE-ISH Saroo says simply that he became aware of Google Earth after moving to Canberra & beginning to think about finding his home. There must have been a first time he heard it mentioned, but if this scene had occurred in real life, he would surely have written about it. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch7
FALSE In his own account, Saroo writes about being able to talk about his past freely for the first time & enjoying being able to talk to people who knew India & might be able to help. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch7
FALSE A little character development for a made-up character, but sadly, Lucy's mother is as fictitious as Lucy. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch7
FALSE If Lucy had been real & had really asked him this question, it seems unlikely he would have been so unwilling to talk about it. But she wasn't. & she didn't. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch7
FALSE Not only is Lucy not real, but there is no mention of the mango scene in the book either. Pffft. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch7
TRUE-ISH There will have been the first time he checked Google Earth & began his search, but Lucy wasn't there & he probably wasn't so miserable about it. Also, his first search was centred on two half-remembered place names rather than train speeds & search radii. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch7
TRUE-ISH Although Saroo was back in Hobart by 2010, he actually moved back in 2009. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch7
FALSE Saroo was aware of the enormity of his task & also aware that he had to concentrate on his studies, which he did, frequently forgetting about his search for months at a time. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch7
FALSE Saroo doesn't write about going up a mountain with any girlfriend, let alone a non-existent one. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch7
TRUE-ISH There is nothing in the book to suggest that this scene ever took place. Plus, let's not forget, Lucy wasn't real. However, it is true that Saroo kept his internet searching from his parents, not wanting to upset or worry them. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley
FALSE Saroo doesn't even hint at anything like this happening. Sadly, it smacks of sensationalism. Or if you prefer, filmmaking. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley
FALSE Something similar may have happened, but it's not based on events that Saroo chose to write about. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley
FALSE-ISH The main problem with these scenes is that even when Saroo became properly obsessed, much much later back in Tasmania, it was a much more positive thing, an intellectual process of elimination rather than the lugubrious near-depression depicted in the film. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch8
FALSE No, none of this happened. He wouldn't get obsessed for years yet, & even when he did, & even when he lived with a woman called Lisa (on whom Lucy must be partly based) he reports no destructive aloofness. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch7
FALSE All of this feels like the filmmakers are over-soap-operafying his life. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch7
FALSE There is no suggestion that Saroo's attitude toward his past was a destructive force in his relationships — certainly not in such an overt way as portrayed in these scenes. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch7
FALSE-ISH None of this quite rings true and it certainly didn't happen in these circumstances. Neither does Saroo mention the wall maps looking like this, which he would have, if they did. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch7
TRUE Saroo talks about this happening the first time, realising then that it was bound to happen a lot as he continued to search. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch8
FALSE-ISH He talks about disheartening moments, but in reality, he didn't allow his search to overwhelm him or make him depressed. Rather, he talks about never forgetting his past, but never feeling that there was something missing, & never feeling that he couldn't enjoy his life. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch7
FALSE This scene feels very made up & seems to exist just to ramp up Saroo's misery, which is not really real. It seems very unlikely also that he would be such a dick as to leave his dad outside talking to him through the door. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley
FALSE Having returned to Hobart, Saroo actually started working with his dad, something he really enjoyed & continued to do at least until the book was written. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch7
FALSE Having Lucy as a constant, from college days right through to when the search became an obsession, is a choice the filmmakers made, but life isn't like that. Or at least wasn't, in this particular case. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley
TRUE-ISH Saroo had these conversations years later with the woman who would become his long-term partner, Lisa. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch8
FALSE A little more background for a woman that wasn't real. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley
TRUE Saroo was hit by a motorbike whilst being paid by a market-seller to ferry watermelons across the street. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch2
TRUE-ISH In reality, the motorbike rider took pity on saroo & gave him a lift home. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch2
FALSE This is just to consolidate the scar thing, which pops up again later. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley
TRUE This was a conversation he had with his partner Lisa, after they had moved in together in 2010. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch8
FALSE-ISH When Saroo returned home after the accident, he says his mother took him straight to a doctor, who bandaged his injuries. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch2
TRUE Saroo spent a lot of time remembering his past, particularly as his obsession properly kicked in. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley
We don't know anything about this. Saroo was not inconsiderate enough to write about any problems that Mantosh may have had with drugs. Neither will we be. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley
TRUE Sue may not have told Saroo about it at this point, but it's true that she had always wanted to adopt rather than add to the problem of overpopulation. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch6
TRUE This happens in the film exactly as Saroo describes it in the book. Right down to Sue wondering if she was having a breakdown, & feeling a sense of something overwhelmingly good for the first time in her short life. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch6
FALSE This is based on the idea that Saroo's obsession with his search and his refusal to tell his parents drovea bit of a wedge between them. This seems to have been invented by the filmmakers. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch8
FALSE This reeks of dramatic licence and mild cliché, from the rain falling into his despair, to the unheard apologies. Plus Saroo never writes about these things happening. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley
FALSE Saroo says at times his search became claustrophobic & of course at times he became discouraged, but he makes no mention of ever freaking out & kicking stuff. & he certainly wasn't in this mood the night he got lucky. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch8
TRUE It was in a moment of idle searching & a break from his forensic, methodical approach that he finally found Burhanpur station. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch8
TRUE-ISH He didn't do that. He just did a little idle exploring & found the train station quite by chance. He wasn't particularly miserable either. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch9
TRUE-ISH It was more that he was idly following a river when he noticed that there were no train tracks, then started looking for the nearest train tracks & on finding them, found the nearest stations & boom! There it was. It was completely unexpected. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch9
TRUE He found a station with an overpass (another feature he had always remembered), then noticed the water tank. As he explored the area, the adrenaline came. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch9
TRUE From Burhanpur, he traced his home town & the neighbourhood he knew as a boy. He doesn't mention tears at this point, but what the hell. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch9
TRUE-ISH What should have been Ganesh Talai was actually Khandwa, which confused him considerably. He only found the name Ganesh Talai a few days later through a Khandwa Facebook group. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch9
TRUE-ISH He actually called out to his partner Lisa, who was asleep in the next room. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch9
TRUE-ISH He told his dad the next day at work & then his mum that night at dinner at their house. There was enough caution & trepidation on their parts for the celebration to be slightly muted. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch9
TRUE It took another 11 months to organise, but it did happen. Saroo returned to India on 11 February, 2012. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch9
TRUE-ISH In reality, the house wasn't in such a poor state. The door was still in place, albeit with broken hinges, & there were no goats. Not inside at least. There was one outside, chewing hay indifferently. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, prologue
FALSE He didn't step inside the house. He merely gazed in through the window. He didn't punch anything. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, prologue
TRUE-ISH A woman with a child did approach, but in reality she spoke a little English & had a short conversation with Saroo. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, prologue
TRUE Two men wandered over & one of them spoke good English. Saroo explained his story to him & showed him the sheet of scanned photos that he actually had with him. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, prologue
TRUE-ISH The man kept the photos (he took them to show Saroo's mum), & asked Saroo to wait for a couple of minutes. A couple of minutes later the man returned & said, "Come with me. I'm going to take you to your mother." A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, prologue
TRUE They walked for "about 15 metres" to where 3 women were standing in a doorway looking at him. "This is your mother," said the man. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch10
TRUE-ISH Certainly it was emotional, but not like this. Rather, his mum took his hands & led him 100 metres through the town to her home, looking back at him with tears in her eyes, muttering in Hindi. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch10
TRUE This happened a while later when some kindly neighbour suggested that Saroo might be an imposter. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch10
TRUE Again, this happened quite a few hours later, after Shekila & Kallu had arrived. Who's Kallu, you ask? Well, exactly. But yes, Saroo learned that Guddu was dead. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch10
TRUE Shekila did arrive, with a husband & two sons that no one mentioned in the film. She arrived around the same time as Kallu, Saroo's other brother, the middle brother who the filmmakers chose to pretty much erase from history. (He is mentioned once, but not identified.) A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch10
TRUE On the first day any crowd-based celebration would have been outside his mum's house & perhaps rather limited. In reality, however, Saroo came back every day for four days, the media got involved & at one point, he writes, "the gathering turned into a public celebration". A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch10
TRUE Saroo did go back to his hotel in the evening & he did leave a message with his parents. Just not a voice message. Probably because it was the middle of the night there, he sent a text. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch10
TRUE The message he left is the same, but they didn't lie in bed together listening to it, unless they made Siri read it for them, which is unlikely. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch10
TRUE He spent some time reliving his past and in particular, everything that happened after he was lost. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch13
TRUE His mum didn't find out for a month that Guddu was dead, so it might not have happened on the same night but let's not quibble. Two sons lost in one night. Imagine that. Thank God for Kallu. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch10
TRUE Yes, these are the words she used, revealed through a neighbour Cheryl, who had an English father & translated for the family in the coming days. She had also refused to move from Ganesh Talai, just in case he ever returned. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch10
TRUE Yes, Saroo writes that he was bemused to discover that he was in fact Sheru, but would now forever be Saroo. A Long Way Home (2013) by ‎Saroo Brierley, ch10-11
TRUE A selection of real family photos, rather than actors. Original footage
TRUE In 2013, 60 Minutes arranged the trip and filmed it. Original footage
TRUE They're working with UNICEF amongst others. Go help if you can. Mrs Brierley would love it if you got involved. So would Saroo. Original footage
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Original Data Provided By: Omid Kashan, DM, David McCandless Karl Webster, Dr Stephanie Starling Subtitles Compiled By: BreadCodes