Dev Patel calls his "Slumdog Millionaire" co-star Freida Pinto his "soulmate" for helping him deal with his new sudden fame.

According to a website, the 18-year-old Patel has shot to fame with his first ever movie role and is grateful to Pinto for helping him deal with the whirlwind attention.

He said: "We're soulmates because we're both in this surreal situation. She is very beautiful... I haven't got a girlfriend but Freida, my co-star, is gorgeous."

But he also clarified that they are not romantically involved at all.

He said: "There's no romance. I've never had a girlfriend. I've always been focussed on acting. But for now I'm having the time of my life."