Monkey Man's Revenge is the revenge journey of an anonymous person (played by Dev Patel) who has lived at the bottom of Indian society for a long time. Disgusted with the unfair life, the young man declared war on those who took away his family in the past.
This film marks Dev Patel's debut as a director. The work bears his personal impression, reflecting the profound influence of Indian culture on people: “When I was young, my grandfather told me the story of the sacred Monkey God Hanuman. And I was extremely surprised to learn the number of modern comics inspired by Eastern philosophy and iconography.
Basically, Monkey Man's Revenge is a love letter I want to send to my family. The film is an amalgamation of the myths my grandfather and father told me, a way for me to honor the extraordinary women I have met in my life – first and foremost my mother, and is a story about what one person can do to avenge the person they love so much.” Currently, the masterpiece from producer Jordan Peele is “fresh” with 87% Rotten Tomatoes score and a rain of compliments.
Mythical inspiration
Monkey Man Vengeance is inspired by the story of Hanuman – the monkey-headed god with a human body symbolizing wisdom, strength, courage, devotion and loyalty in Hindu mythology.
The legend of the Monkey God is said to have appeared in the period from 1500 to 1200 BC and first appeared in a hymn in the “Rigveda” – a collection of ancient hymns honored as one of the The 4 most sacred texts of Hinduism. Also known as Maruti, Bajrangabali and Ajaney, Hanuman is portrayed in the classic Sanskrit epics “Mahabharata” and “Ramayana” as a symbol of freedom.
Hanuman's mother, Anjana, was an apsara (fairy) who was transformed into a monkey by an angry sage. The sage said Anjana could return to her original form if she gave birth to a strong son. Hanuman's father is the wind god Vayu. Right from birth, Hanuman was famous for his strength greater than others.
One of the famous stories about this god is that Hanuman flew into the sky at dawn, intending to “pick” the sun because he thought it was a ripe fruit. Hanuman was punished by the king of the gods, Indra, by a bolt of lightning that hit his chin and fell to the ground dead.
Vayu, angry at what Indra had done to his son, took all the air from the Earth, leaving all living things miserable. Shiva, the god of time and destruction and one of the main deities of Hinduism revived Hanuman. Only then will Vayu return the air to the planet. Indra, realizing his mistake, granted Hanuman a wish that his body be as strong as his vajra (thunderbolt), and also granted Hanuman immunity to lightning bolts.
Blessed by the gods with resistance to fire, wind, water and immortality, the Monkey God became a strong, talented warrior and an important character in the Ramayana. Perhaps Hanuman's most famous feat was leading an army of monkeys to help Rama rescue Sita.
The monkey god returns
Despite possessing great power, the image of Hanuman is unified in Hindu culture as representing humility, altruism, and loyal support of the seventh incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu, Rama. Once again those qualities are mentioned, this time with Monkey Man Vengeance. There, the film's main character will go through increasing challenges, similar to what Hanuman experienced on his journey to serve Rama. Kid's story of revenge is more than just the rage of the weak, it's a spiritual journey tinged with enlightenment. The film promises to overcome traditional action movie stereotypes by bringing the story and character development into a broader cultural context.
Dev added: “I really wanted to touch on the caste system in India, the idea of where the poor are like slaves at the bottom of society, then you get to the land of the kings and above them, you there is God, the man-made god who pollutes and corrupts religion, and then you get to paradise.”
Dev Patel developed the script alongside talents such as Paul Angunawela and John Collee. He combined his two greatest passions – his love of action movies and his love of the stories told by his grandfather – creating a world on screen that captured the imagination of audiences around the world. While director SS Rajamouli brought a piece of Indian history to a global audience with his film RRR, Dev has pushed the envelope a significant step further by making a Hollywood-inspired action film from Indian mythology, set in India, but with global appeal.
MONKEY MAN – (Vietnamese title: MONKEY MAN REVENGE) is showing in theaters.
