‘Gully Boy’ review: a feel-good movie for the underdog in each of us
The HinduThere is something incredibly nuanced about Ranveer Singh in Gully Boy. “ Shabdon ka jwala meri bediyan pighlayega ” raps Murad and Gully Boy is born. Gully Boy Director: Zoya Akhtar Starring: Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Vijay Raaz, Amruta Subhash, Kalki Koechlin, Vijay Varma Run time: 155.48 minutes Storyline: Dharavi boy Murad Sheikh rises above his limited and limiting world to find deliverance in rap as MC Gully Boy Whether it draws from 8 Mile or not, in the tradition of good mainstream Hindi cinema, Gully Boy portrays the Mumbai social milieu in a simple and straightforward manner, laying bare the disparities without getting into deeper complications. The overt statement making of the “brown and beautiful” kinds, the earnest cause-mongering, the protracted length and easy resolutions might throw a spanner in the works but Zoya Akhtar’s story-telling skills hold unmistakable sway with the on-the-move camera conveying the essential urgency and energy. The film questions “remixes” and “fake rap”, posits rap as a way to deal with one’s discomfort with self, society and the world, giving us a ringside view of the rough battle of rappers, takes it from the margins to the mainstream and is a “shout-out to the original Gully Boys”, Bombay hip-hop artists – Naezy and Divine.