Why has the India release of Dev Patel’s Monkey Man been delayed?

Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The release of British actor Dev Patel’s highly anticipated directorial debut, Monkey Man, has reportedly been postponed in India amid concerns that it could fall foul of the country’s censors. Indian ticketing site BookMyShow no longer shows Monkey Man’s release date and Universal Studios India – Monkey Man’s distribution partner – posted a teaser on X saying it would be “in theatres soon”, with no definite date. I knew the movie demanded a theatrical run.” open image in gallery Britain Monkey Man Special Screening After the film’s premiere at SXSW, commentators on X noted that the flags and posters associated with the villain’s political party had changed from saffron-coloured in the movie’s first trailer to red in the second trailer. A 2023 report in The Washington Post showed that streaming platforms Netflix and Amazon Prime Video dropped multiple projects to appease the Indian government and there was pressure on Indian creators to remove any “reference to religion that might offend the Hindu right wing or the BJP” open image in gallery RESEÑA-MONKEY MAN A review of Monkey Man in The New Statesman says: “Monkey Man’s critique of an extremely popular dictator who has managed to weaponise Hinduism is not exactly subtle”, a description that most critics have echoed, while also pointing out the self-censorship embedded within that portrayal.