Sobhita Dhulipala’s venture into Hollywood with ‘Monkey Man’ marks a significant milestone following her successful stints in Indian cinema, including notable projects like Ponniyin Selvan I and II (2022) and Made in Heaven seasons 1 and 2. Transitioning to Hollywood appeared as a natural progression for the talented actress.
In an interview with The New York Times, Sobhita discussed her role in the movie and shared her experiences of collaborating with Dev Patel, the versatile talent behind this action-packed thriller. Portraying the character of Sita, a call girl catering to powerful yet reprehensible individuals in Monkey Man, Sobhita reflected on the complexity of such roles, stating, “Those are really beautifully complex humans. To be considered someone who can be trusted with characters like that is really an honour… If something inspires me or there’s some value I can bring to the story, I want to belong with it.”
She recounted how, even before her debut in Indian cinema with Anurag Kashyap’s ‘Raman Raghav 2.0’ in 2016, she auditioned for the role of Sita in Monkey Man. After several years, Dev Patel personally reached out to her in 2019, affirming that she was the perfect fit for the character based on her audition. When questioned about the risk of working with Dev on his maiden directorial project as her first Hollywood endeavor, Sobhita emphasized the unique bond they shared, characterized by trust, fear, and vulnerability, “It’s a different kind of relationship altogether. There’s trust, fear, vulnerability, and you move as one pack, one team. There’s a certain purity and passion there — working with a first-time filmmaker. So I came on board, I jumped on board.”
‘Monkey Man’ unfolds the story of a man seeking retribution for his mother’s murder, drawing inspiration from the mythological figure Hanuman. Produced by Jordan Peele, the film marks Dev Patel’s directorial debut.
The movie was initially planned to go on an OTT release? The increased interest of actor Jordan Peele altered plans, and Monkey Man became slated to release in theatres. In his recent conversation with The Deadline, Dev Patel stated that it was Jordan Peele who helped the film get a new direction and owes a share in its success. Dev Patel told the portal, “He (Jordan Peele) took us from this thing that was brushed under the carpet to putting us on top of the mantelpiece. He saw the film; Jordan saw me as a filmmaker, someone broken out, like what he did with his amazing comedy show and became this filmmaker. He understood the strength of using genre to talk about more interesting motif things, societal issues, using it as a trojan horse.”
According to the Deadline report, originally the film was to stream on Netflix. The platform purchased the film, but they had doubts about releasing it in the Indian market. Later, as reported, Monkey Man’s co-financier, Bron Studios, declared bankruptcy, proving to be a challenge for the film. In the end, it was Jordan Peele who supported the film.
The movie premiered globally on April 5, with its India release still pending certification from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). Initially slated for an April 19 release in India, Monkey Man awaits approval for theatrical screening in the country.
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