It looks like the Indian release of Dev Patel’s savage brutal and ferocious The Monkey Man may not happen any time in the near future, or in fact may not happen at all.
The Central Board Of Film Certification has taken serious note of the film’s “political overtones”. These compounded by the references to Hindu mythological figures plus recurring images of the saffron colour on hoardings and banners within the film’s ferocious frames(which, apparently, the makers are now trying to recolour into red) have out a serious question mark on the release of The Monkey Man in India.
Actor Dev Patel’s impressively hyped blood-soaked directorial debut which opened in the rest of the world this week, will have to miss its Indian release . Scheduled to release in India on April 19, the film, an orgy of vendetta-driven violence,is facing a major hurdle.
The Monkey Man finds its release seriously obstructed in India by its violent and politically suggestive content.
A source closely clued in to the development informs this writer, “The CBFC (Central Board Of Film Certification) doesn’t know what to do with the violence. The content is driven by elaborate massacres and violent bloodied neverending action scenes. Even if the film finds its way out of the daunting orgy of violence , sexual references(multiple scenes of sexual violence inside brothels ) drugs-related trauma,and sly political references, there is the other major problem: the frequent references to Hindu religion and mythology which is fitted into the violent framework in a bizarre mix of violence and religion.”
Given the major impediments, The Monkey Man would have to delete major chunks of its visuals and dialogues of visceral violence before it is considered suitable for release in India. The probability that the film may not be released in India at all cannot be ruled out.