Dev Patel says Shah Rukh Khan films are his favourite, shares why he cast Sobhita Dhulipala in Monkey Man

Dev Patel is gearing up for the release of his directorial debut Monkey Man. The actor conducted a fun AMA session on Reddit where he answered fan questions on directing Monkey Man, the most challenging part of the process of making the film, his favorite Bollywood films growing up, and the decision to cast Sobhita Dhulipala in the film. (Also read: Dev Patel became so emotional he had to turn his back and wipe his tears, Monkey Man co-star recounts SXSW premiere)

On his favorite Bollywood films

During the AMA session, a fan asked, “What are your favorite Bollywood films? Any of them inspire your writing/direction for Monkey Man?” Dev replied, “Anything Shah Rukh Khan does.”

On the most challenging part of making Monkey Man

Another fan asked, “Given that writing an original screenplay is very time-consuming and mentally taxing, what would you say was the most challenging part of the process?” Dev replied, “Editing! It was a very complicated puzzle to put together - especially the TABLA TRAINING MONTAGE.”

On casting Shobita Dhulipala

Monkey Man also stars Sobhita Dhulipala in a pivotal role. The film also marks her Hollywood debut. A second fan brought up her casting choice and Dev replied, “Not only is she breathtakingly beautiful - but she carries pain well as a performer. I wanted to find a leading woman that was trapped in a corrupt system like my character but somehow she has a strength and takes the lead in our interactions. She’s not a damsel in distress but instead a woman caught up in a horrible reality. She notices this young man is struggling and in fact stops him from being exposed.”

Apart from Dev and Sobhita, Monkey Man also stars Sikandar Kher, Sharlto Copley, Pitobash, Vipin Sharma, Ashwini Kalsekar, Adithi Kalkunte, and Makarand Deshpande among others. It revolves around an underdog street fighter who ends up becoming a vigilante superhero. Dev's character fights against the mighty and rich who oppress the downtrodden and are also responsible for his mother's death.

Produced by Jordan Peele, Monkey Man will be released theatrically by Universal Pictures in India on April 5.

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