Sobhita Dhulipala on playing a call girl in Monkey Man, working with first-time filmmaker Dev Patel in Hollywood debut

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After working in films and shows such as Ponniyin Selvan I and II (2022) and Made in Heaven season 1 and 2, Hollywood seemed like an obvious step forward for Sobhita Dhulipala. The actor's first Hollywood movie, Monkey Man, recently had its international release. In a new interview with The New York Times, Sobhita spoke about her character in the film as well as what it was like working with Dev Patel, who co-wrote, produced, directed and stars in the action thriller.

Sobhita on choosing risky roles, like in Monkey Man

In Monkey Man, she plays Sita, a call girl whose business is the pleasure of powerful but despicable men. Asked what it was like being able to make a career out of playing characters on the margins, like in Monkey Man, Sobhita said, “Those are really beautifully complex humans. To be considered someone who can be trusted with characters like that is really an honour… If something inspires me or there’s some value I can bring to the story, I want to belong with it."

On landing Monkey Man with a first-time filmmaker

Sobhita also opened up about how even before the release of her first film in India (Anurag Kashyap's 2016 movie Raman Raghav 2.0), she auditioned for the role of Sita in Monkey Man. The actor said it took the team several years to get back to her, and in 2019, Dev told her that he had decided that she would be perfect for the role from the moment he saw her audition.

Asked if working with Dev on his directorial debut was a risky move as her first Hollywood film, Sobhita said about their dynamic, “It’s a different kind of relationship altogether. There’s trust, fear, vulnerability, and you move as one pack, one team. There’s a certain purity and passion there — working with a first-time filmmaker. So I came on board, I jumped on board.”

About Monkey Man

Action thriller Monkey Man follows one man’s pursuit to get revenge for the murder of his mother. Inspired by the legend of Hanuman, the film was produced by Jordan Peele and serves as Dev Patel’s directorial debut.

Monkey Man landed in theaters worldwide on April 5. It is yet to be released in India. Monkey Man was earlier slated for an April 19 release in the country. However, the film is yet to receive a green signal from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) .