Dev Patel's directorial debut Monkey Man premiered at the SXSW film festival to a standing ovation from the Austin crowd. Patel stars in the film that follows an underground Mumbai fighter seeking vengeance against the corrupt elites responsible for his mother's murder. Drawing comparisons to John Wick, the film is inspired by the legend of Hanuman and influenced by The Raid and classic Bruce Lee movies.
Originally planned as a co-writing project, Patel was encouraged by director Neil Blomkamp to take the directorial reins due to his deep understanding of the story. Despite facing numerous setbacks, including delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the production persevered. Stuntmen were recruited from YouTube, and crew members doubled as extras to keep the project afloat.
