Dev Patel‘s highly anticipated directorial debut, ‘Monkey Man‘, opened in cinemas worldwide on Friday, April 5 to critical acclaim. The action-packed film is touted to have its roots deep in Hindu mythology, especially the story of Lord Hanuman. However, in the latest podcast, Dev, who also played the leading man, hinted that another more current episode in India also served as an underlying motivation behind the daring subjects he touched upon in the film.
Taking a deep dive into the origins of the project, Dev said that his film took shape from a sense of outrage sparked by the tragic Nirbhaya case, which shook India and reverberated globally.
Speaking to an Australian portal For Your Reference Podcast, Patel said, “The film was born from a rage of being in India during a really trying time, during the Nirbhaya case.”He went on to explain, “A woman that got gang-raped and horribly killed, and this kind of systemic abuse of women and violence, is kind of a global thing. It doesn’t just happen in India.”
During a conversation, he elaborated on the film’s central themes, particularly the exploration of revenge through the lens of faith. “‘Monkey Man’ is a revenge film about faith and how it can be weaponized and manipulated, and mobilize the masses through this concept,” he remarked.
Highlighting the divisive tactics used about faith in the current times, he reflected on the transformative power of faith, portraying it as a guiding force capable of imparting moral values and empowering individuals to stand up against injustice. “Faith can also be a beautiful teacher to an uneducated child in a forest,” he noted.
Taking a deep dive into the origins of the project, Dev said that his film took shape from a sense of outrage sparked by the tragic Nirbhaya case, which shook India and reverberated globally.
Speaking to an Australian portal For Your Reference Podcast, Patel said, “The film was born from a rage of being in India during a really trying time, during the Nirbhaya case.”He went on to explain, “A woman that got gang-raped and horribly killed, and this kind of systemic abuse of women and violence, is kind of a global thing. It doesn’t just happen in India.”
During a conversation, he elaborated on the film’s central themes, particularly the exploration of revenge through the lens of faith. “‘Monkey Man’ is a revenge film about faith and how it can be weaponized and manipulated, and mobilize the masses through this concept,” he remarked.
Highlighting the divisive tactics used about faith in the current times, he reflected on the transformative power of faith, portraying it as a guiding force capable of imparting moral values and empowering individuals to stand up against injustice. “Faith can also be a beautiful teacher to an uneducated child in a forest,” he noted.
Drawing parallels between mythological symbolism and real-life struggles, Patel shares his interpretation of the mythological deity, Hanuman. “I saw him as an outsider, someone that had lost courage and faith in himself.”
Through Hanuman’s journey of self-discovery and resilience, Patel said, “Those scars are not just trauma, that’s triumph.”
‘Monkey Man’, which currently boasts an 89% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, is expected to make a splash at the global box office, earning around $12-15 million on its opening weekend.
While the film was released worldwide today, its release in India was delayed. According to reports, the film is still awaiting certification from the censor board, leading to a 4-week delayed release.
