Slumdog Millionaire star Dev Patel gets a soaking in River Cam on set of new film
SLUMDOG Millionaire star Dev Patel had to be rescued from a river in Cambridge after he lost his footing and slipped down the bank.
Fortunately the 24-year-old actor was filming scenes for his new movie, The Man Who Knew Infinity, and was soon rescued from the cold water by his Oscar-winning co-star Jeremy Irons.
The pair spent the day by the River Cam in the historic university city as they rehearsed and shot scenes for the Hollywood biopic about Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan.
Patel is playing the famous Indian maths genius, who helped pave the way towards today's digital age, but died of malnutrition and illness in 1920, aged just 32.
He left behind about 4,000 theorems despite his lack of formal education.
Patel is playing the famous Indian maths genius, who helped pave the way towards today's digital age
Jeremy Irons, 65, will star as G.H. Hardy, the Cambridge professor who brings him to the UK.
Adding some glamour to the movie is actress Devika Bhise, who was also spotted by the river.
Much of the film is being shot in and around Trinity College, where Ramaunjan became the first Indian to be elected as a Fellow.
In the river scene, the two actors are strolling along when Dev hears cheering along the river bank and runs over to see what is going on.
The crowd is watching a punting race and in his haste to see the boats, Dev clumsily slips down the steep bank and ends up in the river.
He has just enough time to hand his precious books to Irons, before he bobs under the water.
After the stunt Patel was spotted spitting out some of the river water which he had swallowed.
Earlier in the day, the star had time to enjoy some of the more traditional Cambridge pastimes.
He was spotted riding a bike around the historic university grounds as he rehearsed for another scene.
The film, which is being directed by Matt Brown, is based on Robert Kanigel's biography.