- By Srishti Pandey
- Sun, 07 Apr 2024 04:17 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Sobhita Dhulipala, known for her successful projects in Indian cinema, including Ponniyin Selvan I and II (2022) and Made in Heaven seasons 1 and 2, is set to make her Hollywood debut in Dev Patel's Monkey Man. In this action-packed thriller, she portrays the character of Sita, a call girl catering to powerful yet reprehensible individuals.
In a conversation with The New York Times, Sobhita shared her experiences working on the movie and collaborating with Dev Patel. She expressed her excitement about portraying complex characters like Sita, stating, “Those are really beautifully complex humans. To be considered someone who can be trusted with characters like that is really an honour… If something inspires me or there’s some value I can bring to the story, I want to belong with it.”
Interestingly, Sobhita had auditioned for the role of Sita even before her debut in Indian cinema with Anurag Kashyap’s ‘Raman Raghav 2.0’ in 2016. Dev Patel personally reached out to her in 2019, affirming that she was the perfect fit for the character based on her audition.
Despite the risk of working with Dev Patel on his maiden directorial project for her first Hollywood endeavour, Sobhita emphasized the unique bond they shared. She described it as a relationship characterized by trust, fear, and vulnerability, "It’s a different kind of relationship altogether. There’s trust, fear, vulnerability, and you move as one pack, one team. There’s a certain purity and passion there — working with a first-time filmmaker. So I came on board, I jumped on board."
Monkey Man draws inspiration from the mythological figure Hanuman and tells the story of a man seeking retribution for his mother’s murder. Produced by Jordan Peele, the film marks Dev Patel’s directorial debut.
Initially planned for an OTT release, the film's direction changed due to increased interest from actor Jordan Peele, leading to a theatrical release. In a recent conversation with The Deadline, Dev Patel acknowledged Jordan Peele's role in the film's success, stating, “He (Jordan Peele) took us from this thing that was brushed under the carpet to putting us on top of the mantelpiece."
Monkey Man premiered globally on April 5, with its India release pending certification from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). Originally slated for an April 19 release in India, the film awaits approval for theatrical screening in the country.
