Dev Patel Cuts Makarand Deshpande’s Scene In Monkey Man, Actor Feels Disappointed

Dev Patel starrer Monkey Man is yet to release in India but the film has garnered critical and box office acclaim all over the world. The movie also features Indian actors including Sikandar Kher, Sobhita Dhulipala, and Makarand Deshpande. In a recent interview, Makarand revealed some of his scenes were cut from the movie over ‘political reasons’ and Dev personally apologised to him for omitting his role. 

Makarand Deshpande talks about his role cut in Monkey Man 

In a conversation with Siddharth Kannan, Makarand stated that he went to LA for the premiere of Monkey Man and he was informed by Dev Patel about his deleted scene ahead of the screening of the movie. The actor said, “For the premiere of Monkey Man, I went to California. Before that, Dev Patel said he wants to have a word with me. He said, ‘That’s the scene I love the most, but we had to edit it for some reason… for some political (reason)… you understand’ and he just mumbled. I kept on looking at him and said, ‘Dev, wasn’t that scene the philosophy of your film?’ He was like, ‘Oh yes, man, but you will still like your role, I am sorry, but you will like it.'”

While Makarand liked the film, he still believes it would have been better with the incision of those deleted scenes. The Swades actor added while it might not matter to the audience and even to Dev, he was disappointed with the decision. 

What do we know about Monkey Man?

The film revolves around an anonymous young man who unleashes a campaign of vengeance against the corrupt leaders who murdered his mother and continue to systemically victimize the poor and powerless. The film is inspired by the legend of Lord Hanuman, who is known for his strength, courage and loyalty. 

According to AP News, Patel said that he saw a lot of parallels between Hindu mythology and the iconography of the superheroes that we know today, like Superman. Dev Patel shared that his directorial debut was beset with challenges during production, including the coronavirus pandemic-driven shutdown, limited crew members and a series of physical injuries.