‘Dev Patel is a really good actor but an even better director’: ‘Monkey Man’ star Sobhita Dhulipala

Sobhita Dhulipala has multiple projects in the pipeline, one of them being Monkey Man, which marks her debut in Hollywood. The film stars Dev Patel in the lead role and also marks his directorial debut.

Talking about the film, Dhulipala said in a recent interview that Patel rewrote her character in the film for her. Showering praise on him, she said, “He is a really good actor but I think he is an even better director. He worked on this script for close to 8 years, before Raman Raghav came out. We had just finished shooting and I was called in for an audition, we didn’t know what it was, I did round one and I was called for round two and in round two, I walk in and this man (Dev) is standing there and I was just like, ‘Hi, nice to meet you’ I was just like, what? Because this is right little after Slumdog Millionaire and I was just like, ‘He’s an actor, right? Actors can direct also?’.”

She added, “I was just very overwhelmed and he really liked my audition and he gave me some directions and then I didn’t hear back and I was like, ‘Of course, I didn’t get it.’ Some 4-5 years later, I get a call from another casting agent and I come to meet and again, this one (Dev Patel) ‘Prakat ho gaya aise’ (He just appeared) and he said, it moved him to rewrite the character in certain ways and he’s like, ‘Since then, it’s only been you. Whatever it would be made’.”

Monkey Man follows the story of a convict who leaves prison to take revenge on his enemies in a world filled with corporate greed.

The film also stars Sharlto Copley and Sikandar Kher. It is written by Paul Angunawela and John Collee alongside director Dev Patel.

Netflix picked up a majority of the world rights for the film and is expected to release it in 2023.

More details are expected to arrive soon.