“This Is An Anthem For The Underdogs”: Why Monkey Man’s Trans Representation Is Vital To The Film

Dev Patel explains why the trans representation in Monkey Man is vital to the film. The directorial debut from Patel, Monkey Man is an action film that explores one man’s quest for vengeance against the corrupt leaders who were involved in the murder of his mother. Patel also stars in the film, which is set for release today, April 5, and features a supporting cast including Sharlto Copley, Pitbash, Vipin Sharma, Sikander Kher, and Adithi Kalkunte.

As per Variety, Patel details the importance of Monkey Man’s representation of transgender people. Patel explained that he made Monkey Man as “an anthem for the underdogs” who “wage this war for the good.” Vital to this message, Patel felt, was to include “the hijra community,” otherwise known as “the third gender in India.” Check out the full quote from Patel below:

“For me, this is an anthem for the underdogs, the voiceless and the marginalized. Together they wage this war for the good and the just, and for me, I really wanted to include the hijra community, the third gender in India. We should be fighting for each other, not against each other.”

Sharma, who plays a transgender woman named Alpha in the movie, also spoke about the representation in the film following the reaction from the trans community. Check out the quote from Sharma below:

“I was almost in tears when they said they loved it, they loved the representation and they were very happy about it. That just touched my heart.”

Will Monkey Man Be Successful?

Patel’s explanation of including the trans community in Monkey Man makes the film seem all the more meaningful. Based on the synopsis and the Monkey Man trailer, it is clear that the action movie is about fighting against leadership that systematically victimizes scores of people. These are the “voiceless and the marginalized” that Patel refers to in his quote, some of which would include the hijra community. By including this group in the film, Patel works to create unity among underdogs, who he wants to show as a united front against the corrupt upper class.

Including the hijra community is also vital for a high-profile action movie such as Monkey Man. Though representation of the LGBTQ+ community in the media is vastly improving in recent years, there are still very few action films that include transgender characters. By including multiple trans and gender non-conforming roles, Monkey Man makes strides towards this representation while also introducing audiences to a subculture in India with which they may not be familiar. Regardless of how Monkey Man does financially, this representation effort is admirable.

In terms of its financial returns, Monkey Man is predicted to take in roughly $12 million this weekend. It will compete with horror release The First Omen as well as returning favorite Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire. Godzilla X Kong is expected to top the box office again this weekend, taking in between $32 million and $36 million. Even if this prediction turns out accurate, hopefully Monkey Man’s positive reviews and inevitable word-of-mouth can allow the film to gain steam over the next couple of weeks.

Source: Variety