Review: Gully Boy

The first movie to break the 1 billion rupees box office record this year is Zoya Akhtar’s Gully Boy, which managed to do this within a week after the initial release.  

Inspired by the story of two Indian rappers, Vivian Fernandes and Naved Shaikh, the movie sets the stage for Indian youth to become independent and confident individuals.

The movie introduces a new perspective to the people who continue to live under the oppression of social class by challenging the degrading idea of “Naukar ka beta naukar bane ga ye phitrat hai,” (A servant’s child will be a servant, it is destiny).

Starring Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt, the movie tells the story of a poor, street boy (Murad) who dreams of becoming a rapper while constantly being reminded of his harsh reality.

Set in the slums of Mumbai, Murad’s journey is not ordinary. His family is dismantled and his lover is too possessive. He has to break through society’s mindset in order to achieve his goal. The story expresses the pain of living in poverty and dreaming big.

Murad’s character portrays both passion and respect, therefore, his most courageous move is when he decides to take his mother away from her husband’s mental and physical abuse. Even though his decision is rash and is followed by severe consequences, it is one that leads to his overall success.

Just like most of Zoya Akhtar’s movies, Gully Boy is one that youngsters can relate to. While most spend their early twenties studying and hanging out with friends, there are some who abandon their dreams and conform to societal norms. Through this film, Akhtar has managed to unfurl the idea of following one’s gut feeling in order to succeed. 

The title track of the movie, “Apna Time Aeyaga,” has crossed over 74 million views and has given a voice to the underprivileged people living in run-down neighborhoods, to reveal their identities and talents. In fact, MC Sher played by Siddhant Chaturvedi, comments on this topic by saying, “Most of the successful artists were all once broke and hungry. So starved that they would eat anything they got. They stole beats and turned that hunger into stories. Then they got somewhere.”

The song “Doori“ from the movie has already hit 12 million views and has captured the attention of both the wealthy and impoverished. The lyrics echo the message of disparity amongst the social classes and the missing empathy for one another.

Above all, the movie constantly brings forth a set of amusing surprises which manage to tag along with the audience even after it is over.

Photo from ibtimes

Archita Aggarwal is a staff reporter 

Edited by Nupur Agrawal