Actor/director Dev Patel opens this two-minute look behind the scenes of Monkey Man by quoting a quote from the film: “The pain will leave you once it’s finished teaching you.” Patel, who made his feature film directing debut with the action thriller, learned that lesson the hard way, breaking his foot and his hand during shooting.
“I poured all of myself into this. Every frame, every beat, every detail…and it’s been a ferocious process making this film,” explained the Oscar nominated actor.
Joining Patel in front of the camera are Sharlto Copley (District 9), Pitobash (Million Dollar Arm), Vipin Sharma (Hotel Mumbai), Sikandar Kher (Aarya), Adithi Kalkunte (Hotel Mumbai), and Sobhita Dhulipala (Made in Heaven). Ashwini Kalsekar (Ek Tha Hero), Makarand Deshpande (RRR), Jatin Malik, and Zakir Hussain (Duranga) also star.
“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 meager living in an underground fight club where, night after night, wearing a gorilla mask, he is beaten bloody by more popular fighters for cash,” reads Universal Pictures’ synopsis. “After years of suppressed rage, Kid 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 everything from him.”
Patel co-wrote the screenplay (based on his original story) with Paul Angunawela and John Collee. Producers include Patel, Jomon Thomas, Jordan Peele, Win Rosenfeld, Ian Cooper, Basil Iwanyk, Erica Lee, Christine Haebler, Sam Sahni, and Anjay Nagpal. Jonathan Fuhrman, Natalya Pavchinskaya, Jason Cloth, Suraj Maraboyina, Adam Somer, Aaron L. Gilbert, Andria Spring, Alison-Jane Roney, and Steven Thibault executive produced.
Monkey Man opens in theaters on April 5, 2024.
