How Dev Patel got ‘Monkey Man,’ his directorial debut beset by challenges, to the finish line

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — Dev Patel first pitched “Monkey Man” as “a revenge film about faith.”

“Faith can be such a beautiful, powerful thing. It can bring us together. At its best, it should make us fight for each other instead of fighting against each other,” says Patel, who is making his feature directorial and screenwriting debut with the action thriller out Friday.

“Monkey Man” was inspired by the legend of Hanuman — a Hindu deity revered for his strength, loyalty and courage. Patel says that he saw a lot of parallels between Hindu mythology and the iconography of the superheroes that we know of today, like Superman.

The film centers on a character named Kid — played by Patel — who makes a living working in an underground fight club and who later seeks to avenge his mother’s horrific death by infiltrating the elite class of a Mumbai-like city.

“Every day I’ve prayed for a way to protect the weak,” Kid says in a scene from the film’s trailer. Throughout the film, we learn that his mission extends beyond his family. Patel’s character becomes a symbol of freedom, seeking justice for those who have been oppressed and displaced in the name of power, money and religion.

“We’re talking about religion and how religion can weaponize a large mass of people. And it can be used to a horrible extent to inflict violence. At the same time, it can be such a beautiful teacher,” Patel says. “The iconographies, the stories, the morals of right and wrong and courage, there’s this duality to it.… You look at these old temple carvings in India and it was so much more free, open, and radical in a way.”

The Oscar-nominated British actor grew up inspired by action heroes like Bruce Lee and fell in love with action films at a young age.

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