A Dev Patel lookalike contest drew hundreds to San Francisco’s Dolores Park on Sunday, where 20 contestants channeled the award-winning actor’s signature looks — from “Slumdog Millionaire” to his recent directorial debut, “Monkey Man” — to applause, cheers, and respectfully thirsty ogling.
The contest, organized in part by Sitara Bellam and Tasnim Khandakar, started as a casual gathering planned for friends but quickly grew into a viral social media sensation. Contestants competed for a $50 prize.
“It was supposed to be like a picnic day for our friends,” Bellam said. “We were not expecting it to get any traction. It’s been really cool.”
The event was inspired by a recent Timothée Chalamet lookalike contest in New York City. “We were making a joke about the contest,” Bellam said. “Someone was like, ‘Well, we have the demographic for a Dev Patel one!'”
Contestants brought humor and charm to their performances.
Varun, identifying himself as a “Slumdog Millionaire”-era Patel, joked that he “hoped to take home another award today.” Ashwin, who traveled from Atlanta, drew laughs by noting, “I’ve been getting called Dev Patel ever since white people watched ‘Slumdog Millionaire.'”
“I really like the fact that our event is, like, celebrating a South Asian man,” Bellam said. “Me and Taz both grew up in San Jose, and that identity was a very big part of growing up. It’s fun that we got to kind of tie that into a whimsical random event that we’re having in the city.”
One contestant, Sudev, 25, traveled from Sacramento sporting a sleek, dark suit, embodying Patel’s “Monkey Man” style. Another, Sanjiv, 28, admitted, “I’m here because my mom says I look like Dev Patel.”
The grand prize went to Jaipreet Hundal of San Jose, who said he had barely prepared for the competition.
“I looked at a little Dev Patel interview going into this, I got myself into the zone, I studied a little bit,” Hundal said. “I tried looking up Dev Patel outfits: nothing. Nothing iconic. Like, he’s got these cool suits, but I don’t have cool suits like that.”
Hundal immediately announced plans to share his winnings: “Burritos at El Farolito, first come, first served! We’re sharing the wealth. So, 50 bucks — that’ll give me four burritos.”
Spectator Pramil Joshi expressed hope that Patel himself might make a surprise appearance, as Chalamet did at his lookalike contest. “I hope the potential is up today,” Joshi said. “I really hope so. That would be fun.”
Khandakar noted that Patel’s appeal differs from that of traditional Hollywood leading men.
“Compared to actors like Glen Powell or Ryan Gosling, they all have this hunk factor about them,” she said. “I think Dev Patel has this really humble aura that just really resonates with so many people. You know, like he’s like the nice guy around the block.”
For attendee Shruti, the event sparked nostalgia.
“‘Slumdog Millionaire’ was just the classic stuff growing up,” she said. Her friend Shreya added, “As Indian Americans, we had to show out.”
