Dev Patel, of “Slumdog Millionaire” fame, has topped a recent survey of the Most Bankable South Asian Stars Worldwide, Times of India reported. He has beaten the likes of Shabana Azmi, Om Puri, Anil Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, and the current darling of the West — Freida Pinto — to bag the top spot. But, while many may rejoice at the fact, is Dev's win really something to do with his special talent? Or, is his just a case of ‘flavour of the season'? Filmmaker Apoorva Lakhia thinks it is the latter. “These lists are generally compiled not on the basis of calibre, but rather it's about what's ‘in' now. SM has been a huge success, and Dev and Freida have been all over the place. It's all about clout and recall value. You cannot definitely compare one-film wonders like Freida and Dev to seasoned actors like Shabanaji and Om Puriji,” says the filmmaker. And, what happened to Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan, who did not even feature in the top ten? All said and done, it's ultimately the box office that decides which star is bankable or not. So, till another SM happens, it's Dev Patel singing “Jai ho!”
