‘Monkey Man’ at KIFF to compete in Indian docu films section

KOLKATA: If you spot someone jumping from tree to tree at the 29th Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) at Nandan, don’t be quick to alert the authorities. It’s none other than actor Jacky Wadwani, accompanied by his director, Haider Khan. Together, they are at the film fest for the screening of their Gujarati documentary ‘Langur: The Man Monkey,’ competing in the Indian documentary films section.

Jacky, inspired by monkeys since childhood, initially faced resistance from his parents when he decided to make a livelihood out of imitating them. However, as his popularity soared, his family embraced his unique path. “As they saw my popularity grow, they accepted me. I am very happy now, and so is my entire family,” said Jacky.

Haider’s encounter with Jacky was quite intriguing. Witnessing a crowd harassing a man dressed as Hanuman, Haider initially thought it might be a junior artist or a Ramleela performer.

However, drawn by the mystery of why someone would be in Hanuman attire in the dark, he soon realised it was Jacky himself. Captivated by Jacky’s life story, Haider decided to bring it to the screen. Jacky’s ultimate wish, for his parents to acknowledge and accept him, came true after the completion of the documentary.