Dev Patel ventures into directing with Monkey Man, a passion project intertwining action and justice. He takes on multiple roles in the Universal action-thriller, crafting a narrative around a young man’s quest for vengeance against corrupt figures linked to his mother’s demise. Along the way, he transforms into a symbol of hope for the downtrodden.
Speaking at the Los Angeles premiere, Dev Patel revealed his evolution from a hesitant writer to a director driven by personal attachment to the story.
Originally pitched to Neill Blomkamp, Patel’s involvement expanded as Blomkamp encouraged him to helm the project himself.
“There were some incredible people that pushed me into this director’s seat, and once I was there, I didn’t look back,” Patel continued.
“It was by any means necessary I was going to birth this dream so I really love it, and I would love to do it again if I was so lucky.”
Sikandar Kher, who co-stars in the film, sang Patel’s praises on the carpet, saying,
“You don’t know that he’s a first-time director.”
“He really lets you be. It’s the communication, the way he talks to you. If there’s a note, it doesn’t feel like a note.
He lets you fly, lets you spread your wings, and that’s when the magic happens, when you can really get something that might be special, and he gives you that liberty and that freedom and he loves you, he loves his actors,” Kher added.
“He’s going to direct so much more, I hope he does.”
Actor Makarand Deshpande also noted,
“He was there almost physically getting your appearance right, from the physical detail to the emotional detail. I would completely give credit entirely for my performance to Dev, he just got me there.”
Monkey Man finds support in Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions, acquired from Netflix for a theatrical release.
Dev Patel acknowledges Peele’s visionary shift from comedy to impactful filmmaking. Peele’s belief in using genre to address societal issues resonates with Patel, who praises Peele’s influence in bringing their project to the forefront.
With Peele’s backing, Monkey Man transitions from a sidelined project to a prominent feature, set to hit theaters soon.
