✦ Celebrity stories, facts and career updates. Explore F4U now →

Home › Biography › Saroo Brierley

Saroo Brierley photo for featured biography, wiki and celebrities profileFeatured Biography

Image source: StarsUnfolded

Celebrities

Saroo Brierley Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 14, 2026 • 3 min read

Request CorrectionClaim Profile

Quick Info

Date of birth22 May 1981

BirthplaceGanesh Talai, Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh, India

ProfessionBusinessman, Author

NationalityAustralian (NRI)

FamilyBiological parents: Father - Munshi, Mother - Fatima; Adoptive parents: John and Sue Brierley; Siblings: Kalloo, Guddu (deceased), Mantosh (adoptive brother), Shakila (sister)

Saroo Brierley Biography

Indian-born Australian author and businessman Saroo Brierley rose to international attention after using satellite imagery to locate his childhood home inK

Early life and background
Saroo Brierley was born Sheru Munshi Khan on 22 May 1981 in Ganesh Talai, Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh, India. As a young child he lived with his mother Fatima and his siblings; his father had left the family. At about age five he began begging on the streets with his older brothers. During one outing on a local train his brother left him at a station and did not return; that day Guddu was later reported killed in a train accident. The lost child eventually travelled alone to Howrah Railway Station in Calcutta and survived for a period living in and around the station before being taken to the police and placed in a government centre for abandoned children.

He was later moved to an orphanage and then to the Indian Society for Sponsorship and Adoption. After the formal processes of investigation and placement, he was adopted by an Australian couple, John and Sue Brierley, who brought him to Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. Growing up in Australia he learned English and, over time, the original pronunciation of his birth name Sheru became Saroo.

Career
Saroo Brierley trained and graduated in hospitality and business from the Australian International Hotel School in Canberra. He worked in the family business run by his adoptive parents and pursued writing alongside his professional life.

In 2013 Brierley published a memoir titled A Long Way Home that recounts his childhood, the years he lived apart from his biological family, and his eventual search for his place of origin. The memoir drew attention for its personal account of displacement, memory, and identity.

The story reached a much broader audience when A Long Way Home was adapted into the 2016 film Lion, directed by Garth Davis. The film starred Dev Patel as Saroo, Nicole Kidman as his adoptive mother, and Rooney Mara as his romantic partner. Lion brought international recognition to Brierley and introduced his life story to a global audience.

Public profile
Brierley’s public profile centers on his journey from a lost child in India to an adopted son in Australia and his later quest to reconnect with his biological family. He has continued to maintain contact with his birth relatives and has returned to India repeatedly; since his 2012 reunion he has visited his biological family more than a dozen times.

Personal details frequently noted in profiles include his residence in Hobart, Tasmania, and his dual cultural ties as an Indian-born Australian. He is described as a non-vegetarian who enjoys travelling and writing. Physical descriptions in public records list his height at approximately 1.78 m (5 feet 10 inches), weight around 75 kg (165 lbs), black hair and black eyes, and a Gemini birth sign.

Latest updates
In 2011 Brierley used satellite imagery and Google Earth to search for landmarks he half-remembered from childhood. After several years of searching he identified the Burhanpur railway station and followed satellite clues back to his hometown of Khandwa. He returned to India in 2012 and reunited with his mother, brother and sister after about 25 years apart. The reunion and his subsequent travels between Australia and India received both national and international media coverage.

Brierley continues to live in Hobart and remains in contact with both his adoptive and biological families. His life story, book and the film adaptation continue to be the primary sources of public interest in his experiences and the long journey back to his roots.

Editorial Review and Sources

This F4U profile is written from publicly available career and profile information, then reviewed for clarity before publication. If you spot an outdated detail about Saroo Brierley, send the page URL and a reliable correction source to f4udotin@gmail.com.

Reference context: StarsUnfolded

Accuracy

Request a Correction

Tell us what needs to be updated and share a reliable source so the editorial team can review it.

Ownership

Claim This Profile

If this profile is about you or your client, send your contact details and verification context.

◈

Recent Work

A Long Way Home

Memoir recounting his childhood, adoption and search for his birthplace

2013
Lion (film adaptation)

2016 film adapted from his memoir that brought international recognition

2016
✦

Career Highlights

  1. Adopted from India and raised in Hobart, Tasmania
  2. Published memoir A Long Way Home (2013)
  3. Subject of the 2016 film Lion, directed by Garth Davis
Reviewed by F4U Editorial Desk

F4U profile pages are prepared from public career information, checked for readability, and updated when reliable correction sources are shared with the editorial team.

People Also Search For

EntrepreneursCelebrities biographies
?

Frequently Asked Questions

When was Saroo Brierley born?

Saroo Brierley was born on 22 May 1981.

What is Saroo Brierley known for?

Saroo Brierley is known for businessman, Author.