BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) 鈥� first pitched 鈥淢onkey Man鈥� as 鈥渁 revenge film about faith.鈥�
鈥淔aith can be such a beautiful, powerful thing. It can bring us together. At its best, it should make us fight for each other instead of fighting against each other,鈥� says Patel, who is making his feature directorial and screenwriting debut with the action thriller out Friday.
鈥淢onkey Man鈥� was inspired by the 鈥� a Hindu deity revered for his strength, loyalty and courage. Patel says that he saw a lot of parallels between and the iconography of the superheroes that we know of today, like Superman.
The film centers on a character named Kid 鈥� played by Patel 鈥� who makes a living working in an underground fight club and who later seeks to avenge his mother鈥檚 horrific death by infiltrating the elite class of a Mumbai-like city.
鈥淓very day I鈥檝e prayed for a way to protect the weak,鈥� Kid says in a scene from the film's trailer. Throughout the film, we learn that his mission extends beyond his family. Patel鈥檚 character becomes a symbol of freedom, seeking justice for those who have been oppressed and displaced in the name of power, money and religion.
鈥淲e鈥檙e talking about religion and how religion can weaponize a large mass of people. And it can be used to a horrible extent to inflict violence. At the same time, it can be such a beautiful teacher,鈥� Patel says. 鈥淭he iconographies, the stories, the morals of right and wrong and courage, there鈥檚 this duality to it. ... You look at these old temple carvings in India and it was so much more free, open, and radical in a way.鈥�
The Oscar-nominated British actor grew up inspired by action heroes and fell in love with at a young age.
鈥淚 was like, 鈥業 can use a genre that I love so dearly to talk about the caste system,鈥欌�� he says. 鈥淚t came from a place of rage too, against what was happening in India. And it happens everywhere, really.鈥�
The film is 鈥渋s pointedly political in its fictionalized echoes of ,鈥� Associated Press film critic Jake Coyle referencing its skewering of ( where 鈥淢onkey Man鈥� is still awaiting clearance by the country's censor board and doesn't yet have a confirmed release date.) For Patel, the film, which features many Indian actors, speaks to issues of , the and 鈥� all issues that he says that, while taking place in India in the film, are also universal.
鈥淚've got a place here in LA, and, you don鈥檛 need to look far to look at cases of police brutality or, you know, every society faces a sort of caste system,鈥� Patel says.
He describes the action film's commentary as a way to reach individuals who might be on the wrong side of history.
鈥淗ow do I get them to watch this and feed them vegetables through a sort of entertaining Trojan horse so it doesn鈥檛 feel like a lesson in politics or morals or whatever?鈥� he asks.
In addition to the fraught topic, the directorial debut was beset with challenges during production, including the limited crew members and a series of physical injuries.
鈥淚 broke my hand, I broke my foot, I tore my shoulder. Everything that could have possibly gone wrong in the making of this film did go wrong,鈥� he told reporters at SXSW. 鈥淎nd it鈥檚 really been a humbling experience.鈥�
who plays Tiger, says Patel went through an unusual hell during the filming process.
鈥淚'm just filled with gratitude, really," Copley says. "I keep saying to Dev, it鈥檚 like this grace that helped us through this one.鈥�
After surviving the grueling production process, the film was dropped by Netflix. Netflix did not respond to multiple requests for comment from the AP.
鈥淭he studio that first acquired it, they didn鈥檛 really know what they鈥檇 bargained for," Patel says. 鈥淭he actual film itself is a lot denser and it鈥檚 saying a lot. Let鈥檚 say that it鈥檚 not your usual action scene on page one, and then you continue fighting nonstop. It鈥檚 trying to do a bit more.鈥�
It was 鈥渏ust sitting there gathering dust,鈥� Patel says. He was ready to let it go when 鈥� and Founder of Monkeypaw Productions 鈥� swooped in to save the day, purchasing the film through his production partnership with Universal Pictures.
鈥淗e saw me as a filmmaker. He saw the pain I鈥檇 been through,鈥� recalls Patel. 鈥淗e said, 鈥業 hope you don鈥檛 mind. I鈥檝e shared it with Universal and we鈥檙e going to buy it.鈥� I literally 鈥� I fell off my seat.鈥�
For Peele, 鈥淢onkey Man鈥� reminded him of the 鈥�80s and 鈥�90s, when 鈥渕ovies were good.鈥�
鈥淚t was iconic. I felt passionately that it was demanding to be on the big screen,鈥� Peele says. 鈥淚 could immediately see that this was a director who had gone through lengths and pushed and pushed and pushed because it really makes it to the screen. I mean, you have a film that is just absolutely huge, and the story of it is really intoxicating."
鈥淢onkey Man鈥� received a standing ovation at its SXSW premiere. Video shows Patel standing on stage, moved to tears.
鈥淚 did cry. I couldn鈥檛 help it, man. You feel so raw up there, and the response was just magical,鈥� he says.
After investing so much time into this debut, Patel says it was a quote from the his father shared with him that finally allowed him to let go and release 鈥淢onkey Man鈥� to the masses.
鈥淚t鈥檚 something about 鈥業鈥檝e spent many days stringing and unstringing my instrument. And the song I came to sing remains unsung.鈥� Something like that,鈥� Patel says. 鈥淚 was like, 鈥楧ad, I get you, man. I got to sing this song. I got to let it go.鈥� And it鈥檚 the biggest leap of faith when you finally just say, 鈥業t鈥檚 not perfect, but it鈥檚 me. It represents me in this moment in time, in history, warts and all.鈥欌��
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Watson reported from London.
Leslie Ambriz And Sian Watson, The Associated Press
