HE NEEDS no introduction as his body of work as an actor speaks for itself. Dev Patel continues to sparkle.

The British actor, with no prior acting experience made his screen debut in the 2007-08 British television teen drama, Skins as Anwar Kharral.

But his acting career really kicked off in 2008 with his portrayal of Jamal Malik in Danny Boyle’s drama Slumdog Millionaire, which later went on to bag eight Academy Awards. Patel, himself, was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor.

From having no clue on the first day of his shooting in Skins, Patel’s growth as an actor has been tremendous and this year should him making his directorial debut in Monkey Man. He will also star in this production. It bagged a $30 million film deal with Netflix in March 2021 and expectations are high.

Set in Mumbai, it has something of a highoctane action thriller feel to it, with one insider describing it as “John Wick (after the action hero of the 2014 film) in Mumbai.” While the film was originally set to be shot in India, filming took place in Indonesia because of Covid restrictions and contains both a Western and an Indian cast.

Inspired by the Hindu deity, Lord Hanuman, it’s about a man who’s released from prison and seeks to root out wrongdoing. The film does not have an official release date and is expected to drop sometime this year.

Patel’s most recent big screen role was in The Green Knight. He played the central character of Gawain who in 14th century England has to face the Green Knight and show his strength and courage. The film did well in the US where it had a cinema release in July 2021. Featuring an all-star cast, including Alicia Vikander and Joel Egerton,