The highly anticipated action thriller ‘Monkey Man,’ starring and directed by British actor Dev Patel, has found itself embroiled in a controversy even before its release.
According to reports, the film’s pre-release publicity has revealed that certain scenes have been edited to change saffron political banners to red, raising concerns about potential censorship.
The subtle edit, which was noticed when the same shot was used in two different trailers, underscores the pressures Hollywood productions are facing in the Indian market, which is becoming increasingly influential in the global entertainment landscape.
This type of treatment is similar to the changes made to the 2012 remake of ‘Red Dawn,’ where the Chinese army was initially portrayed as the antagonists, but was later edited to North Koreans to appease Chinese censors.
Venki Manickam, a Texas-based engineer who attended a preview screening of ‘Monkey Man’ in Austin, confirmed that some of the saffron banners had been changed to red in the film. He also noted that the flags were still saffron, resembling the BJP party’s insignia.
Manickam described the film’s portrayal of characters and institutions that mirrored real-life politicians, conglomerates, and religious figures, although the overall setting is fictional. The political climate depicted Hindus and Muslims united, with a focus on prejudice against Christians.
While the film’s director, Dev Patel, has stated that he “shut down the Hinduphobic avenue pretty hard” by assuming the persona of the Hindu deity Hanuman in his pursuit of revenge, the extent of other changes made to the film to facilitate its release in India remains unclear.
Universal Pictures India has published trailers in both English and Hindi, but the recent ones do not carry a release date, and the Central Board of Film Certification has not yet cleared the film for exhibition in India.
The decision by Netflix to pass on the film due to concerns over themes that could offend right-wing viewers in India, and the subsequent involvement of Jordan Peele’s Monkey Paw Productions, further highlight the delicate balance Hollywood productions must strike when navigating the Indian market.
As the global entertainment industry continues to adapt to the growing influence of the Indian market, the case of ‘Monkey Man’ serves as a cautionary tale about the challenges of maintaining creative integrity while appeasing potential censorship.