Monkey in a Cage
Written by Cameron Geiser
Warning: This review is for Monkey in a Cage, which is a film presented at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival. There may be slight spoilers present. This review also deals with subject matter that may be triggering, including the topic of sexual assault. Reader discretion is advised.
From director Anurag Kashyap comes Monkey in a Cage, an examination of sexual politics in the digital age of India through frankly direct discussions in this tense legal procedural. The story follows Samar (Bobby Deol) a middle-aged Singer who is the definition of a one-hit wonder after he gets accused of rape by a former lover. This comes at a time when he's just getting into a decent place with his current girlfriend Khushi (Saba Azad). Initially we're only given Samar's perspective as he is thrust into the heavily corrupt court system and thoroughly humiliated to no end. Khushi, Samar's sister, and his lawyer all try to help him out, to understand the details of the accusation, and to peel back the complexity of both Samar and his ex Gayatri's (Sapna Pabbi) actions and intentions.
The judicial system showcased in Monkey in a Cage is furiously corrupt and fully committed to keeping Samar in custody as long as possible in order to milk him for as much money as his family can muster. Everything costs money in this prison system, and since Samar has been accused of rape, he is subjected to all kinds of assault. Once in the shabby prison Samar must learn the social etiquette of the various groups in the yard and who is more trustworthy among the killers, thieves, and others accused of sexual assault. The cast of characters within the prison are initially off putting but their humanity shines through. My favorite scene of the film is when the prison yard breaks out into song and dance with the song Life is a Cage featuring some of the more sidelined characters bursting forth to stir everyone into a moment of connection amongst the horrors of their situation. It was a lovely moment of lifted emotions that helped release us from the highly emotional tension that had been mounting since Samar's imprisonment.
Monkey in a Cage handles the topics at hand with great care. It avoids shallow or misleading characterizations of both Samar and Gayatri and instead prefers to dissect both characters with an unjudgemental lens. What it reveals is that both people involved made harsh mistakes and acted out of self absorbed indifference and the inability to healthily handle rejection. It's a thoroughly layered conversation about the modern realities of how dating and sexual connections have changed and what that can mean between people who are unwilling to handle awkward or unpleasant discussions of closure. The first half of the film dives into the very apparent lack of understanding that Samar has of the current social environment, blocking and ghosting someone outright can have its consequences after all. When the second half finally reveals Gayatri, who has been made out to be the villain until then, we see that some things align with Samar's experience, but that her perspective tells a different tale overall. Neither Samar nor Gayatri took the appropriate actions and it ultimately hurt both of them in the end.
The filmmaking on display was confident, handled with sincerity and a deft hand. Despite the dark themes and seriousness of the tone, I was happily surprised to see humor sprinkled into the film in wisely chosen spots. Samar's assistant at home for example had several great moments of comedic timing. However it is within the performances where Monkey in a Cage shines brightest. Everyone involved turned in competent to refined and precise performances, but the film would not have worked as well as it did if not for Bobby Deol as Samar. He is the lynchpin of the film's success and he should be applauded for the work he put in. While a difficult topic to broach, Anurag Kashyap has turned in a strong film with Monkey in a Cage, one that may earn acclaim from the Academy when it comes time to look at international cinema.
Cameron Geiser is an avid consumer of films and books about filmmakers. He'll watch any film at least once, and can usually be spotted at the annual Traverse City Film Festival in Northern Michigan. He also writes about film over at www.spacecortezwrites.com.