for me, the heart of monkey man was its immense love for india, and the confidence of articulating that love through representation and criticismāthe things that make india beautiful are not the colorist, hindu-nationalist propoganda stories of bollywood but largeness of the diaspora: indians who trans, who are muslim, who have been oppressed by their government, who are unacknowledged by society, etcāand prevail despite the odds stacked against them. they are encouraged to be themselves and fight against these occupational forces.
major props to dev patel for showing that hey, you actually can make a movie about indians in a way that perfectly encapsulates the various cultures, mythologies, AND egregious political climate, while also highlighting indian people and giving them the recognition and respect they often don't recieve in westernāOR bollywoodācanon. now that we know it's possible (it always was) i want more! thanks!
(also it helped that he was either in a suit, shirtless, or covered in blood [sometimes two at a time] for most of this movie. dev patel, i literally only need one chance...)
