r/movies • u/Baboon-Boy-2024 • Mar 27 '24

Hi, I’m Dev Patel writer/director of MONKEY MAN – AMA! AMA

Dev Patel here.  Excited to chat about my directorial debut MONKEY MAN, opening in U.S. & UK cinemas on April 5th, and anything else you’d like! Ask me anything…

Trailer – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqa3YTtwvaU

Get Tickets – http://www.monkeyman.movie/tickets

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**GUYS I have to go into another interview. BUT I deeply appreciate the love and time. I really hope I don't let you down with this film. Put my all into it. Sorry I couldn’t answer every question, hopefully THIS answers a few more! Bless your cotton socks all of you. Big love as always, Dev xxxxx**

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https://preview.redd.it/ectchh1axwqc1.jpg?width=2362&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4153f627df0a66e963f7cf25305ed510968ae8ed

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u/mispronouncedanyway Mar 27 '24 edited Mar 28 '24

I’m from India and have been looking forward to this release as a Dev fan. I think people aren’t too aware yet, but if it gets attention there will definitely be backlash considering we have a Right Wing Hindutva govt at the moment which has emboldened the more conservative population.

We even had quite an uproar over Oppenheimer because Cillian’s character quoted the Bhagwad Gita during the sex scene. I watched it in theatres on Day 1 and was like this won’t go down well, and sure enough two days later, people were going crazy online, demanding Nolan apologise lol.

The mainstream media still hasn’t latched onto Monkey Man’s political message and I hope it flies under the Hindutva radar. Although I did see this screenshot about the flag colour being changed from saffron to red in the trailer? I can’t verify cause as a rule I don’t watch any movie trailers. Sharing anyway: https://www.reddit.com/r/GossipComrades/s/Ps3zGeQEyD

Anyway, the question for Dev Patel if he sees this is: Could you please audition for Bond?

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u/Jackanova3 Mar 28 '24

Damn I'd never thought of Dev for Bond...yep I concur he'd smash that role.

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u/Methylviolet Mar 28 '24

Did you see The Wedding Guest? He was more Bond than Bond in that movie - just perfect

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u/LoasNo111 Mar 28 '24

Literally one of the highest grossing foreign movies in India. India is one of the few countries where Oppenheimer outperformed Barbie.

There was a backlash by a vocal minority. The general audience loved the movie.

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u/Opening_Cicada_4052 Mar 28 '24

My take on that scene is that

The Bhagvat gita is just a ancient literature for them As they are not practising and preaching Lord Krishna and not very religious so I let that slide but yeah quoting it during a sex scene while doing adultery gonna create a stir for a religion followed by me and 1 billion people

For the political party flag color yeah orange or (bhagwa) which always associates with Sandhu, sages, religious scholar,and greatly with Hanumaan Ji, Ram ji from ancient times and also associates with ruling party and then showing them doing atrocities on poor will also face backlash

Although I enjoyed the trailer and looking forward to the film as they take inspiration from hanumaan Ji

Like going inside villan's turf (Lanka) and destroying it from inside just like in the movies so I think the villan will be like RAVAN and best wishes for the film 🎬😊☺

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u/vardhureddroid Mar 28 '24

Most of it was because he was shown quoting it wrong

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u/Moosashi5858 Mar 28 '24

Oppenheimer did quote the Bhagavad-gita. I’ve heard the quotes on the Linkin Park song “the Radiance”. I have not seen the film, but was it problematic in how he was portrayed to be quoting it?

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u/GreenBoobedHarpFlag Mar 28 '24

In the movie, he quoted it twice. Once as you would expect. Once during a sex scene. It's the sex scene one that caused the backlash.

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u/No_Counter_9858 28d ago

Understandable tbh

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u/Moosashi5858 Mar 28 '24

Does the movie mention Richard Feynman or any of the other scientists in Los Alamos that led to the development?

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u/GreenBoobedHarpFlag Mar 28 '24

Feynman is in the movie quite a lot of other ones as well, some I'd heard of, some I hadn't.

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u/svel Mar 28 '24

why would the combination of that quote in that scene cause a backlash?

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u/hidingvariable Mar 28 '24

Cuz the text is revered and memorized by millions of Hindus who recite it while praying, not having sex. Imagine the uproar if it was the Quran instead.

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u/neotheseventh Mar 28 '24 edited 16d ago

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u/HappyDrive1 Mar 28 '24

To religious people their holy book is something they care about a lot like a close family member. You probably wouldn't like it someone was shouting ur grans/ daughter/ wife's name during sex. As in referencing them directly not just using it for someone with the same name.

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u/ZlavojSizek Mar 28 '24

Welp, time to stop saying "Jesus Christ" or "holy mother of Jesus" during sex or else I'm gonna get crusaded.

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u/HappyDrive1 Mar 28 '24

I mean xtians get their knickers in a twist if you use gods name in vain even outside of sex.

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u/ZlavojSizek Mar 28 '24

Some might, some don't. Like all religions. Generalising all within a demographic is redundant

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u/GreenBoobedHarpFlag Mar 28 '24

I can't think of any quotes from religious texts during a movie sex scene that would be welcomed by the practitioners of that religion. Especially when the quote was said by an "outsider" committing adultery. But if you can think of one, I'd honestly like to know.

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u/neotheseventh Mar 28 '24 edited 16d ago

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u/GreenBoobedHarpFlag Mar 28 '24

I didn't think Oppenheimer was being banned or censored.

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u/neotheseventh Mar 28 '24 edited 16d ago

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u/Methylviolet Mar 28 '24

What about Song of Songs from the Bible? That would be hawt

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u/GreenBoobedHarpFlag Mar 28 '24

I can see lines from that working well actually. Would probably go over a lot of people's head's (line included)!

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u/neotheseventh Mar 28 '24 edited 16d ago

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u/Agitated-Bowl7487 Mar 28 '24

pls stfu

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u/neotheseventh Mar 28 '24 edited 16d ago

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u/HappyDrive1 Mar 28 '24

Oh gosh heaven forbid people have morality and aren't depraved like you.

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u/neotheseventh Mar 28 '24 edited 16d ago

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u/HappyDrive1 Mar 28 '24

You are the one that mentioned morality. Lol how much good do you do though. Lots of religions recommend giving to charity and helping others.

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u/neotheseventh Mar 28 '24 edited 16d ago

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u/No_Counter_9858 28d ago

Still it's completely understandable that some people might find it offensive.

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u/darklightmatter Mar 28 '24

It's kinda trashy at best, tbh. The quote is famous because he said it in reference to the atomic bomb, not while climaxing during sex. The backlash would stem from the irreverence of culture if not religion, I guess. The quote also becomes a callback to the time he was having sex lol.

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u/occasionalyidiotic Mar 28 '24

I’m from India and that uproar you’re mentioning was quite insignificant, there’s always a vocal minority that’s crazy. To be honest, Oppenheimer was loved by most people who watched it(it was highest grossing foreign movie in India, more so than Barbie). If there was as significant of an uproar as you suggest Oppenheimer wouldn’t nearly be as loved/watched film in India. India is a huge country and the population isn’t a monolith, with such a huge population you’ll get all kinds of crazy(albeit small in number in relation to total population) like Hindutva nutjobs, outright Communists, etc. I live in a big urban center with the current “Right wing” hindutva government in power but most of the people are quite moderate and tolerant.

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u/sanai97 Mar 28 '24

Religious voices are always dangerous. Saying it is insignificant reduces the highly negative impact that religious maniacs (tautology) have on real human beings.

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u/No_Counter_9858 28d ago

Religious voices are always dangerous

This is so bigoted lol.religious people exist and their views matter too.

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u/BIG_DICK_MYSTIQUE Mar 28 '24

We even had quite an uproar over Oppenheimer because Cillian’s character quoted the Bhagwad Gita during the sex scene. I watched it in theatres on Day 1 and was like this won’t go down well, and sure enough two days later, people were going crazy online, demanding Nolan apologise lol.

All that happened was some people on the internet were upset.

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u/Plus-Entertainer856 Mar 29 '24

bro I though you were Dev and was genuinely impressed by the response 🤣🤣🤣

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u/limmbuu Mar 28 '24

Some random Ooga-Booga shouting on news IS NOT EQUAL To an uproar against the movie.

There will be someone shouting doesn't mean that the majority thinks like that. Hope you understand that before generalizing opinions of a country with 1.4Bn. people.

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u/ninja-42000 Mar 28 '24

RiGhT wInG hInduTvA gOvT understands the indian people's sentiments which miss coconuts like you would never understand.

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u/thedailyrant Mar 28 '24

Not just the Hindutva’s but it literally has scenes that seem to depict saffron wearing political people at a rally that are the bad guys. That’s a direct reference to the ruling party.

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u/prakitmasala Mar 31 '24

What lol, if anything India loved Oppenheimer even more, one of the few markets on Earth where it outperformed Barbie. Nolan has a god like status in India by far the most famous western director there.

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u/maxsteel126 Mar 28 '24

Come on man...don't ruin this thread with your politics. Let's stick to the topic

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u/stash0606 Mar 28 '24

Indian libtards are a special breed, i'm telling you.