'It's Not The Coolest': Dev Patel Says He Was 'Ashamed' Of His Indian Heritage In London

Dev Patel is currently enjoying the debut of his directorial, Monkey Man, which was released theatrically in the United States and Canada by Universal Pictures on April 5, 2024. It is inspired by one of the old stories of Lord Hanuman.

In an episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show, Dev revealed that he was 'ashamed' of his Indian heritage in London. “When you're in school in Greater London, it's not the coolest. I'm trying what I can to not show that part, going into films like Slumdog Millionaire and doing all these kind of movies. I realised actually that with the first movie I'm going to direct, I'm not going to double down, I'm going to triple down on culture,” added Dev.

Further, Patel said that he grew up watching Bollywood, Bruce Lee, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jim Carrey and Jackie Chan. "It's all in there (in Monkey Man). It's the cocktail that makes me,” he said.

The film also features Sikandar Kher, Sharlto Copley, Sobhita Dhulipala, Makarand Deshpande, Ashwini Kalsekar, and others. Patel serves as both the lead actor and a producer alongside Hollywood filmmaker Jordan Peele. 

Monkey Man is yet to release in India.