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FEATURE MOVIE

The legend of Hanuman, synonymous with Hindu culture, has been the foundation for many films and television series throughout India. In fact, the mythical character has been prevalent in Bollywood since the 1970s and was most recently depicted in the 2022 movie Shadow Master . Not to be mistaken for the Chinese folktale of Monkey, Hanuman was also referenced in Marvel’s two Black Panther movies.

these cultures, styles and storytelling to make something for people like me,” explains the Oscar-nominated actor. “No, not just the brown guy born in London who’s confused about his identity. No, I wanted to make an anthem for the underdogs. A hero who doesn’t have all the tools, can’t provide the perfect quip at every moment - the guy who tries and fails, and tries again, only to fail once more. A young man accustomed to being underestimated, with equal amounts of pain as rage, grappling with real trauma… that is until he finds other outsiders, underdogs, like himself, to help build him up and give him the courage to fight for what is good and true. “The action genre can easily be abused by the system, churning out content that lacks substance for a quick profit. But as a true fan of the genre, I know it can handle more. The audience wants more. And I’m adding a heavy dose of culture to the mix,” says the Lion actor, whose Monkey Man co-stars include Sharlto Copley, Pitobash, and Vipin Sharma. “As a child, my grandfather introduced me to the story of Hanuman, the Monkey God. I was stunned at how many modern comic books have drawn inspiration from Eastern philosophy and iconographies. “There was a time when I was constantly pigeonholed as an actor. Then I realised that instead of running away from my heritage, I was going to double down on it and showcase

Marking Dev Patel’s directorial debut, action thriller Monkey Man - also co-written by and starring the Slumdog Millionaire actor - opened to resounding box office success. Words Gill Pringle S uch a feat is rare in a landscape where few original films get made,

even more so considering how Patel’s Monkey Man is set in India’s poor Hijra community. While ostensibly delivering

what makes me proud of who I am. While the film celebrates my culture, I’m as equally committed to calling out the systemic and institutional issues that continue to be perpetuated and imposed on the most disadvantaged and vulnerable communities. “At its core, Monkey Man is a love letter to my family. It’s about

a blood-thirsty, crowd-pleasing revenge story, Patel cleverly sets his story against a backdrop of societal challenges, including corruption, discrimination, poverty, and the caste system. Inspired by the legend of Hanuman - an icon embodying strength and courage - Monkey Man stars Patel as Kid, an anonymous young man who ekes out a meagre living in an underground fight club where, night after night, wearing a gorilla mask, he is beaten bloody by more popular fighters for cash. After years of suppressed rage, Kid - aka Monkey Man - discovers a way to infiltrate the enclave of the city’s sinister elite. As his childhood trauma boils over, his mysteriously scarred hands unleash an explosive campaign

of retribution to settle the score with the men who took

Dev Patel

everything from him. “Ever since I was a child, I have

been obsessed with action cinema. From sneaking downstairs at midnight and watching Bruce Lee leap from the screen and into my imagination in Enter the

blending the mythology that my father and grandfather shared with me, and also about honouring

Dragon , to watching Shah Rukh Khan fighting off hundreds of bad guys to save the love of his life, to then being introduced to Korean cinema - which took the revenge genre to a whole new level in my mind - I knew one day I’d fuse my love of all

the power of all the incredible women in my life - foremost my mother. And how far someone would go to avenge a wrong inflicted on someone you love so dearly,” explains Patel.

• Monkey Man is out Jul 31

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