Monkey Man marks the directorial debut of actor Dev Patel, who also plays the lead role in the movie. Set in India, Monkey Man is crafted as an action-thriller with a revenge angle, and also stars Sharlto Copley, Pitobash Tripathy, Vipin Sharma, Sikandar Kher, Adithi Kalkunte, Sobhita Dhulipala, Ashwini Kalsekar, and Makarand Deshpande. Tabla maestro Zakir Hussain makes a cameo appearance in the film. The trailer, along with feedback from those who have watched Monkey Man, confirms influences from Hindu mythological sagas in the movie, while also providing incisive commentary on the rising religious intolerance in the country. Monkey Man Review: Fans Hail Dev Patel's Performance in the Thriller, Laud His Talent As Storyteller.

The latter aspect of the previous paragraph is why many speculate that Monkey Man may not be released in India. Although Dev Patel's film premiered in the USA on April 5, 2024, to positive reviews, it underperformed at the box office. However, its release in India remains uncertain, as the film is purportedly critical of Hindutva, which has been a fundamental ideology of the ruling party in India.

In between, there came a report on Bollywood Hungama that Monkey Man is not banned in the country and it is yet to be submitted to the Censor Board. At the time of writing this article, Monkey Man has not been submitted for CBFC yet for certification.

Watch the Trailer of Monkey Man:

Monkey Man Falls Victim to Piracy

Then comes another twist. After the film underperformed at the US box office, Monkey Man became available through digital release on a rental basis. This also meant that high-definition quality prints of the movie were now available for piracy. As expected, these prints were illegally uploaded on torrent sites. Consequently, many Indian viewers, unable to watch Monkey Man due to its lack of theatrical release in the country, downloaded the film from torrents, despite its illegality, and brazenly shared their views on social media.

According to a new report in Bollywood Hungama, certain distributors and exhibitors are fuming about the film's piracy, as Indian fans, and even some critics, have already watched it through illegal means. The portal quotes Akshaye Rathi, a film exhibitor and distributor, who urges the government to take action against those who have watched pirated copies of Monkey Man and are also encouraging others on social media to do the same. He stated, "We are in an industry where crores of rupees and jobs are lost due to piracy. And if people who are in the entertainment or media ecosystem are going to consume films on piracy and propagate it, then pardon my language, but these are parasites that need to be amputated." Monkey Man LA Premiere: Sobhita Dhulipala, Sikandar Kher, Makarand Deshpande and Others Arrive Stylishly for Dev Patel’s Film Screening.

However, Indian Twitterati has come out unusually strong in defence of piracy, citing this as a special case. They argue that instead of blaming those curious to watch Monkey Man regardless of the source, exhibitors should actually blame the censor board and the government for not allowing a proper release of the movie.

Check Out Some of the Reactions to the Report Below:

'Go Cry in a Corner'

'People Pirating are Not Parasites'

'Joke is on the Exhibitors'

'Uncut Version'

'Entirely Justified'

'Birthed This Cesspool'

Let's remind you once more that Monkey Man has yet to be submitted to the Censor Board. Some distributors are blaming the producers for poor planning following the film's India release date shuffling (from April 19 to April 26 to now indefinite). Monkey Man: Dev Patel Credits Shah Rukh Khan As His Inspiration for Directorial Debut During Reddit AMA Session.

However, we cannot deny that Monkey Man would likely encounter difficulties in its India release, particularly due to its anti-Hindutva content. This is especially relevant given the country's ongoing Lok Sabha 2024 polling season. To grasp the basis for this concern, it's important to note that it wasn't solely the trailer that sparked worry. When the film premiered worldwide during the SXSW film festival on March 11, 2024, certain Indian-origin critics, such as Siddhant Adlakha, expressed reservations about Monkey Man's release in India due to its religious and political content.

Even before its premiere, the creators of Monkey Man have encountered hurdles regarding its content. Initially planned as a Netflix-exclusive release, the film raised concerns due to its religious themes. According to a report in The Wrap, the streaming platform deemed these themes contentious and sought to avoid upsetting the BJP-led Indian government. Consequently, they explored alternative markets for the movie's release. Interestingly, the film features Sikandar Kher, the son of actress and BJP MP Kirron Kher.

Enter Jordan Peele, the acclaimed director of films such as Get Out, Us, and Nope, who appreciated Dev Patel's work in the movie and threw his support behind the movie. This led to Universal Pictures stepping in and granting Monkey Man a theatrical release.

Speculations regarding the challenges of releasing Monkey Man in India were already circulating before the trailer debuted. In fact, upon the trailer release, some netizens noted that in one scene, the colour 'saffron' had been altered to appear red in the trailer version.

So, dear readers, what are your thoughts? Would Monkey Man have received a proper release in India despite the alleged objectionable content? Or are netizens correct in suggesting that illegal torrenting of the movie is forgivable on a one-time basis? After all, even if Monkey Man were to be released in India, wouldn't it likely be a censored version? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 29, 2024 04:15 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).