As Dev Patel's controversial film Monkey Man awaits release in India ...
Bankrolled by renowned filmmaker Jordan Peele, among others, Monkey Man stars film's director Dev Patel himself in the titular role. (Image: Universal Pictures/Facebook)
While uncertainty looms large over the theatrical release of the Hollywood film Monkey Man in India, possibly due to its controversial theme, desi audiences have found an alternative way to watch the film after it dropped on video-on-demand (VOD) platforms in the US. Following the film becoming available for the public to rent or purchase in North America, pirated versions of Monkey Man have surfaced on the internet, and many Indian audiences have already downloaded and watched the action thriller, which hit the screens in the West earlier this month. Now, social media is abuzz with discussions on Academy Award-nominated actor Dev Patel’s debut directorial venture.
Dubbing Monkey Man as “one of the bravest and best action films of 2024,” a user wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “Hats off to Dev Patel, who did not compromise his film. This revenge action thriller can clearly avoided the obvious political symbolism, but it didn’t (sic).” Sharing a snippet from the movie, the user added, “See carefully in this clip of 2 min you’ll find many real life videos anti Muslim Pogroms and Moblynchings.”
“Monkey Man was a good movie and I liked it a lot, I hope he makes more movies that show that both he and trans women are rad as hell,” a Twitterati mentioned, while another one wrote, “MONKEY MAN only got better the longer it went. Once that second half kicked in, it was over. Ruled exponentially.”
“It is one of the coolest grounded action films I’ve seen in a bit. With awesome fight choreography, creative cinematography, a solid story, and a great cast, you’re not going to want to miss this one in theaters!,” was one person’s reaction, while another one mentioned, “Still thinking about how incredible well done #MonkeyMan was. Dev Patel’s eye/vision, action/acting ability, and intricate storyline in this movie is top tier. It’s not often an action film targets your heart and breaks it, or has you laughing & cheering during bloody scenes.”
Watch Monkey Man trailer here:“#MonkeyMan is good. But for all the hype I expected more from it. Dev Patel acts and directs his a** off even though the pacing is rough and it should have been 10 minutes shorter. But! Dev Patel would crush a SIFU movie/show,” another netizen noted.
Bankrolled by renowned filmmaker Jordan Peele, among others, the film stars Patel himself in the titular role, alongside Sharlto Copley, Pitobash, Vipin Sharma, Sikandar Kher, Adithi Kalkunte, and Sobhita Dhulipala. Although the movie premiered in the US, Canada, UK, and Ireland on April 5, Monkey Man is still awaiting approval from the Central Board of Film Certification in India, without which it cannot be released. As per a tweet on X by Universal, the film will come out in India ‘soon’. However, no details have been shared.
In its trailer, the film’s makers had revealed that Monkey Man is inspired by the legend of Hanuman and boldly addresses political themes. With the country currently witnessing another general elections, the prospects of the film’s release in India appear uncertain.
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