Dev Patel makes touching speech at the ‘Monkey Man’ world premiere

Last night was the world premiere of ‘Monkey Man’ at the famous TCL Chinese Theater in Hollywood, California. HOLA! USA had the opportunity to attend the event to see Dev Patel’s masterpiece. It’s a must-see, action packed, thrilling ride, telling a story of resistance, redemption, and a son’s love for his mother. ‘Monkey Man’ has become one of the most highly anticipated films of 2024 and deserves nominations in the upcoming award season.  

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The world fell in love with Patel when they watched ‘Slum Dog Millionaire’ in 2008. Set in a Mumbai-like city in India, Monkey Man has inspiration from Indian mythology, based on the legend of Hanuman, one of the most celebrated figures in Hinduism, known for his devotion, courage, and strength.

Ahead of the screening, Patel, the director, producer, cowriter, and leading man, made a speech, “It’s crazy that this kid who wet himself in his first karate class cause he didn’t know his right from left is standing here with his own action film, this is crazy,” he said.

“This film, for me, is for the culture,” the 33 year-old continued. “It’s for little Dev, who needed to see himself expressed in this genre. Someone who looks like me who was able to beat up all those bullies - punch them in the nose, beat those bad guys. It’s a love letter to Bruce Lee, it’s a love letter to all those action films.”

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Patel earned a standing ovation when Monkey Man premiered at SXSW, and there’s a reason why people have been captivated by the actor since Slumdog Millionaire. His acting in the film is incredible, and they weren’t afraid of pushing limits, with Patel using his strong jaw to fight his opponents whenever possible.

The gory, bloody, and, at times, heartbreaking film pulls at your heartstrings while shining a light on real issues taking place around the world. Seeing Patel, a brown man leading us along the way, is a love letter for everyone who looks like him, and has wondered why they aren’t properly represented in television and film.

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Jordan Peele acquired the project as a producer through his company Monkeypaw Productions from Netflix, because he believed it deserved a theatrical release rather than streaming, per Hollywood Reporter. The film also stars Vipin Sharma, Reva Marchellin, Makarand Desphpande, Sobhita Dhulipala, Sharlto Copley, Sikandar Kher, and Pitobash.