Dev Patel Releases Monkey Man Tabla Entertainment News

Award-winning actor and director Dev Patel, star of “Slumdog Millionaire” and “The Lion,” will bring Indian masala action to Hollywood with “Monkey Man,” in theaters April 5.

Produced by Jordan Peele, the film pays homage to the legend of Hanuman, the mythical monkey god, Collider reported.

The official trailer released last month suggested that the Mumbai-set film follows a man's quest for revenge against a corrupt leader who murdered his mother.

In Robin Hood style, Monkey Man sets out to dethrone the tyrant who continues to systematically victimize the poor and powerless for greed and profit.

The trailer looked bloody and brutal. There are flashbacks to Monkey Man's past and his intensive training as a vigilante, as well as Patel's fight against numerous attackers.

Patel, 33, who was nominated for an Oscar in 2017 for “Lion,” stars, directs and wrote the film.

Paul Angunawela and John Collee helped him write the script.

This is not the first time that Patel has starred in a film that questions social policy in India, as he first gained widespread recognition for his role in “Slumdog Millionaire”, a story about how a slum street kid puts on a game show won.

“Monkey Man” has the added benefit of being produced by Peele, the Oscar-winning filmmaker best known for his horror films with deep social commentary such as “Get Out,” “Us” and “Nope.”

The film features an international cast including Sharlto Copley, Sobhita Dhulipala, Pitobash, Vipin Sharma, Ashwini Kalsekar, Adithi Kalkunte and Sikandar Kher.

Sobhita, who is making her Hollywood debut with Monkey Man, called the film a “rollercoaster ride”. She told Hindustan Times, “My character has a very distinct texture that is unlike anything I have seen before. It inspired me and made me fall in love with cinema even more. The action, the music, the style and the raw emotion. It will be a feast for the senses.”

She also praised Patel and called Monkey Man his labor of love. “He really has exceptional taste in everything related to cinema,” said Sobhita. “That coupled with his tremendous patience and passion to do his best in every department is pretty phenomenal.”

Kher said that he really liked the script and also Patel. “He is charming and funny. That’s why I was excited to do it,” he said.

“Patel is one of the greatest directors I have ever worked with because of the way he communicates with an actor and his openness to sharing ideas. I really enjoyed being directed by him.”

“Monkey Man” was originally slated for a release on Netflix after the streaming giant acquired global rights to the film for $US30 million ($40.5 million) in 2021.

The release was originally announced for 2022 and then last year, but remained undated for a while.

Netflix's move toward a theatrical release under Universal Pictures this year was influenced by Peele, who concluded after viewing the film that it deserved a theatrical release.

Peele's production company Monkeypaw Productions then acquired the film from Netflix in collaboration with Universal Pictures.

Indo-Asian News Service