Made in Heaven star Sobhita Dhulipala is set to make her Hollywood debut with Dev Patel’s vigilante action thriller Monkey Man, which follows an action hero's fight against corruption and inequality, reveals the film’s trailer dropped on Friday.
Dropped by Universal Pictures, the three-minute-16-second-long trailer takes us through a world of corruption and fight clubs where Dev’s Kid finds a way to infiltrate the rich. As a man who lost his mother in a fire incident at a young age, Dev lives his life wearing a gorilla mask in an underground fight club where he is beaten by popular fighters in exchange for cash. However, he soon discovers a way to seek revenge from the rich leaders who took everything from him.
Dealing with childhood trauma, Dev recalls the story of Hanuman and Ravana which his mother used to narrate to him as a bedtime story. He remembers how a white gorilla emerged as the saviour of the people who were attacked by devils. Embodying the icon of the white gorilla that represents strength, courage and determination, Dev not only tries to avenge his mother but also discovers a way to protect the weak.
“One small ember can burn down everything,” says a voiceover in the trailer as Dev beats his enemies violently, releasing all his suppressed rage. With action and chase scenes reminding us of Keanu Reeves’s John Wick movies, Monkey Man is written by Dev in collaboration with Paul Angunawela and John Collee.
“In this city, the rich don’t see us as people,” Dev says in the trailer before showing scenes where he is ready to do any meagre job to earn a living. He soon lands a job at a club as a waiter where Sobhita plays a stripper. She warns him about the intricacies of working in a strip club, telling him that if he cannot handle the complications, he should not work there.
Monkey Man marks Dev’s first directorial venture. It also stars a number of international stars like Sharlto Copley, Pitobash, Vipin Sharma, Ashwini Kalsekar, Adithi Kalkunte, Sikandar Kher and Makarand Deshpande.
Produced by Dev, Jomon Thomas, Jordan Peele, Win Rosenfeld, Ian Cooper, Basil Iwanyk, Erica Lee, Christine Haebler and Anjay Nagpal, Monkey Man is slated to release at theatres on April 5.
