Sherlock is like Santa Claus: Ian McKellen

London: English actor Ian McKellen has compared the famous fictional detective character Sherlock Holmes to Santa Claus.

The actor who will be portraying the role of Sherlock in the forthcoming film “Mr. Holmes”, believes that the character has always been there.

“It's like Father Christmas, Santa Claus. He’s always been there. I say to people, 'When did you first come across Sherlock Holmes' and they look blank because they can’t remember. We have always known about him. Most people think he was a real person,” ew.com quoted McKellen as saying.

“Mr. Holmes”, based on the 2005 novel “A Slight Trick of the Mind” written by Mitch Cullin, is set primarily during Holmes' retirement, following a 93-year-old Holmes who struggles to recall the details of his final case while his mind begins to deteriorate.

The film is set to release in India on Friday by PVR Pictures.