Dev Patel talks about wanting to “include hijra community” in ‘Monkey Man’: “We should be fighting for each other”
April 9, 2024Dev Patel, who made his directorial debut with ‘Monkey Man’, said that for him this movie “is an anthem for the underdogs, the voiceless and the marginalized”.
Patel spoke about including the “hijra community” which he states is “the third gender in India”. ‘Monkey Man’ includes a group of trans and gender-nonconforming characters who join Kid, played by Dev, in his fight against India’s elite, ‘Hindustan Times’ write.
“For me, this is an anthem for the underdogs, the voiceless and the marginalized. Together, they wage this war for the good and the just, and for me, I really wanted to include the hijra community, the third gender in India. We should be fighting for each other, not against each other,” he said.
Vipin Sharma, who plays trans woman Alpha, recently attended a screening of the movie for the trans community. “I was almost in tears when they said they loved it, they loved the representation, and they were very happy about it. That just touched my heart,” Vipin said.
During the Los Angeles premiere of the film, Dev shared how he was reluctant about directing a film. He said he became “a reluctant writer and then a sort of reluctant director” on the project after he pitched it to previous collaborator Neill Blomkamp to direct and Blomkamp told the actor he should helm it himself because of his attachment to the material, as per The Hollywood Reporter.
Dev wrote, directed, produced, and starred in the Universal action thriller. The film’s plot revolves around a young guy who embarks on a quest to find the corrupt leaders responsible for his mother’s death, ultimately becoming a rescuer of the poor and powerless people.
‘Monkey Man’ is inspired by the legend of Hanuman — a Hindu deity revered for his strength, loyalty and courage. The film stars Dev, Sobhita Dhulipala, Sikander Kher, Makarand Deshpande, Pitobash and Vipin Sharma. Monkey Man released in theatres on April 5. It is produced by Dev, Jomon Thomas, Jordan Peele, Win Rosenfeld, Ian Cooper, Basil Iwanyk, Erica Lee, Christine Haebler, and Anjay Nagpal.
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