Sikandar Kher, who made his Hollywood debut with Monkey Man, shared disappointment about the film not being available in India.
Monkey Man marked Dev Patel’s directorial. (Photo Credits: Instagram)
Dev Patel’s directorial debut Monkey Man is yet to be released in India due to its alleged controversial theme. Although the film received support from audiences, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has halted its release without issuing an official ban. Despite being a Hollywood production, the film includes Indian actors like Sikandar Kher, Sobhita Dhulipala, Makarand Deshpande, Ashwini Kalsekar and Vipin Sharma. Kher, who made his Hollywood debut with the action thriller, shared his disappointment about the film, which offers a unique look at Indian mythology, not being available in his own century.
Speaking with Hindustan Times, the actor said, “I can’t say it isn’t disappointing because I have a lot of people who keep asking where and when they can watch It. If it was in my hand, I would have released it tomorrow. You want your people at home to see your work, especially people who are rooting for you. It’s unfortunate, but I hope that at some point they get a chance to watch it.”
Before Monkey Man premiered in the US, Makarand Deshpande appeared on Siddharth Kannan’s show and revealed that Dev Patel had mentioned a scene was removed from the film due to “political” reasons.
“For the premiere of Monkey Man, I went to California. Before that, Dev Patel said he wants to have a word with me. He said, ‘That’s the scene I love the most, but we had to edit it for some political reason, you understand’ and he just mumbled. I kept on looking at him and said, ‘Dev, wasn’t that scene the philosophy of your film?’ He was like, ‘Oh yes, man, but you will still like your role, I am sorry, but you will like it’. When I saw the film, I said no problem. But I know that scene. If the scene was kept, it would have been amazing.”
Although Monkey Man hasn’t been released in India, it won the Rotten Tomatoes award for Best Action and Adventure Film in 2024. That’s not all, Dev Patel has been nominated for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer at the 78th British Academy Film Awards (BAFTA).
