Dev Patel 'little nervous' about Oscars ceremony

Dev Patel, who is nominated in the best supporting actor category for Lion at the 89th Academy Awards, says whenever he thinks of the big night is just a week away, his heart rate rises a little bit.

Lion is based on the true story of a five-year-old Indian boy, Saroo Brierley, who gets lost on the streets of Calcutta, thousands of kilometers from home. He survives many challenges before being adopted by a couple in Australia; 25 years later, he sets out to find his lost family.

Patel, 26, said he is extremely happy with the kind of love his movie has received and that the Garth Davis-directed film is changing the lives of so many people in a positive way, reported People magazine.

"There's not much more preparation to do at this point.Now, it's up to the film gods and we are just really enjoying this time. But whenever I think it's just a week away, my heart rate rises a little bit," Patel said.

"A woman came up to me after a screening and said she had been on the fence about wanting to adopt, but after watching the film she said it gave her the courage to do so and she now felt it was her calling. The film is changing lives," he added.

The actor will attend the February 26thceremony along with his mother, Anita Patel.

"As a child you may say to your parents, 'One day I am going to take you to the Oscars.' But for that to actually materialize into a truth is quite amazing," he said.