Dev Patel’s Directorial Debut “Monkey Man” Takes South by Southwest by Storm
TEXAS: British actor Dev Patel’s feature directorial debut, “Monkey Man,” is creating a whirlwind of excitement, especially after its premiere at the recent South by Southwest Film Festival in the US.
Scheduled for release in American theaters in April, Patel not only co-wrote and directed the political action thriller but also stars in it. He describes the film as a blend of heart and culture. “It’s very overwhelming, to be honest. I’m trying to digest it all. It’s an amazing turnout. I mean, the amount of people that showed up here, I’m terrified and equally excited and humbled by this all,” Patel expressed at the film festival.
Set in India, the movie draws inspiration from the legend of Hanuman, the Hindu deity symbolizing strength and courage. The plot follows a young man donning a gorilla mask seeking vengeance against corrupt leaders responsible for his mother’s death and the exploitation of the poor and powerless.
Recalling the challenges faced during the film’s production, Patel recounted a series of injuries he endured. “It was an incredibly schizophrenic process. I broke my hand, I broke my foot, I tore my shoulder. Everything that could have possibly gone wrong in the making of this film did go wrong. We were in the beginning of the pandemic. I was in the biggest slum in India, and the production went down and it kept going down. And we found a way to pivot constantly,” shared Patel about the demanding shooting process.
Co-star Sharlto Copley commended Patel for his resilience, describing him as “a general, an absolute warrior when he needed to be. And then he has this incredible heart and sensitivity and humanity, which I think you see in his roles as an actor.”
Initially set for distribution by Netflix, “Monkey Man” found its home at Universal Pictures, thanks to US filmmaker Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions banner, which has an overall deal with the studio. Reports suggest that Peele pursued the film after recognizing its potential beyond a streaming release.
“This is a movie that has all the things that we love. It’s like it’s got meaning, it’s got grace. It’s a beautiful film and it also has Dev Patel kicking butt throughout the entire film and being awesome,” shared Peele with Arab News.
When asked to summarize “Monkey Man,” Patel kept it concise. “Underdog, spiritual, and ferocious. Those are the three things I think encapsulate this film.”