Actor and theatre impresario Makarand Deshpande spoke about the experience of working on Dev Patel’s Monkey Man, and speculated about the cause behind it not being released in India. He said that there’s nothing objectionable in the film, and that the General Elections might be a reason why the action movie hasn’t yet secured a release date in India. Monkey Man serves as Dev Patel’s directorial debut, and features him in the lead role of a vengeful young man, who vows to take down a corrupt politician played by Makarand.
In an interview with Lallantop Cinema, he was asked about the film’s delayed release, and he said, “Kabhi bhi release ho sakti hai, film mein aise kuch hai nahi ke release rok dein (The movie doesn’t have anything in it that could cancel its release, it can be released any time). I feel because of the elections everything is stopped. What I’d heard from the producer is that they were in talks, and it was supposed to be released, but… The film should be released. But according to me, this film is going to pass the test of time; there are some films like Satya, and this is one of them.”
Also read – As Dev Patel’s controversial film Monkey Man awaits release in India, viewers write rave reviews after watching pirated prints online: ‘Bravest, best action films of 2024’
Makarand recalled the experience of shooting Monkey Man, which was produced during the pandemic in Thailand, because India was under lockdown. He said that he tried to drop out of the movie, but Dev wouldn’t take no for an answer, telling him that he had no second choice for the role of the villainous Baba Shakti. He said that after he landed in Thailand, he was made to quarantine for several days, and the entire crew would be tested for the coronavirus every week. Makarand described Dev as a very focused director who was learning on the job; “He knew what he wanted, but he also didn’t know,” Makarand said.
He was also asked about the divisive politics being shown in several Indian movies these days, and Makarand said that having grown up in an inclusive society, he wouldn’t want to associate himself with this kind of cinema. “I feel people change their ideologies to get political mileage,” he said, adding, “I’m from the cosmopolitan city of Mumbai. I grew up among all sorts of people of different communities in Khar-Bandra area. I could literally see Muslims and Christians living side by side. I wasn’t raised to participate in projects against any religion. It would be in violation of the upbringing I’ve received.”
Click for more updates and latest Hollywood News along with Bollywood and Entertainment updates. Also get latest news and top headlines from India and around the World at The Indian Express.
Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.
