Review Of The Film The Gully Boy
Gully Boy is based on the real life story of Mumbai-based rap stars Naezy and Divine. This soul stirring movie traces the story of a young guy called Murad (Ranvir Singh) who dreams of being a hip-hop star. He lives in the slums of Dharavi district in Mumbai with his pretty big family who are constantly trying hard to make their ends meet and to get Murad graduated so that he could get a job. Murad is clearly sick of the routine drill and wants to get away from the frustrations and anxiety that has cluttered his mind and enjoy what his heart longs the most, Music. His attire of a hoodie and headphones plugged in most of the time is supposedly his way to escape from his reality. The bitter atmosphere at his home and his abusive father fails to keep him from fulfilling his dreams. He keeps moving forward, determined and unwilling to settle for anything less, finds people that support him and re-emerges stronger than ever as Gully Boy. Gully boy, the inspirational journey of a boy with unrealized potentials came out with stratospheric anticipation and it totally lived up to its expectations. This crazy upbeat illustration of the Mumbai hip-hop scene was so captivating that you won’t lose interest even for the slightest of bits. This emotional storyline by Zoya and Reema is tagged along with a tinge of humor because of which the plot remains enlivening. Without uttering a single dialogue we know after the very first sequence that this movie is going to be full of surprises. What makes this bollywood flick a feast to the eye is the amazing cinematic visuals and show stealer performances by Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt. Ranveer’s love for hip hop and rap music has clearly translated on screen.
The character of Murad undergoes exceptional development from a shy and hesitant boy victim to his insecurities to a powerful, bold and confident character with firm intents. Moreover, the power packed dialogues added further depth to the entire narrative for which Vijay Maurya is to be credited. The fierce, violent side to the shy and innocent looking Safeena (Alia Bhatt) will take you by surprise. She was a tough cookie. Her dialogue delivery was so effortless yet ruthless which suited the character brilliantly. The impersonation of chemistry between childhood best friends and sweethearts, Safeena and Murad had the charm that adds a compassionate mood to the overall theme of the movie. The ensemble of cinematography, choreography, the writing, editing, costumes, and the actors have collectively presented to us a masterpiece I’d say. They have given their best and drowned themselves in the lives of the real characters. They’ve gotten in the shoes of these unsung rappers and shown to us their world in its true essence. The frustration and anxiety that was building up in the protagonist, Murad is evident as he spills his thoughts through his mic. These rap battles always had this intensity to it. It pumps you up and you unknowingly start to move in sync with the beat. Rap songs like Doori and Apna time ayega have lyrics with strong messages that will send chills down your spine. It’s an all in one movie where this boy finds his true self and breaks the mundanity of his life and ends the misconception of “nokar ka beta nokar”. Gully boy was a diamond in the rough, all he needed was a supporter to push him to achieve what he deserves instead of waiting for something to happen miraculously. Mumbai is known as the city where dreams come true. The theme of making one’s dream come true remains constant throughout the movie. Every character in this movie is somehow endeavoring to fulfill their wishes.
Whether it be Murad who wants his inner chaos to come out through his rap or Safeena who wants to live her life to the fullest without any restrictions, every character is yearning for change. The sequence of beautifully picturized skyscrapers of Mumbai and the car slowly moving ahead along the bridge symbolized how these tall buildings overshadow the sufferings of the underprivileged living in the nearby shanty towns. These conflicting images of the lives of rich and the lives of poor was heart wrenching and eye opening at the same time. It depicted time and again the lack of empathy that affluent people have towards the underprivileged and how they are only thought of as a subject matter. Save that, this story depicts the light that is at the end of every tunnel. It was about hope, friendship, passion, hard work and a beautiful love story that overlooked all the hardships and made its way through. The movie has surely used techniques that will hook you up. You’ll feel sad when the protagonist feels sad and get all hyped up as he resonates his life with his rap. You will feel his anger and frustrations as if it was happening to you. The rage that was building inside of him was beautifully personated. This movie will make you laugh, cry and think. You actually live the movie with the characters. It is very clear that the director Zoya Akhtar, along with her team has very keenly observed the surroundings and the lives of these rappers and have represented an almost replication of reality in the movie. The movie didn’t lose grip of its realistic approach until the very end. The streets, the get up, the dialogues, everything was in sync with the entire set up. Unlike other movies, Ranbir and Alia were dressed up like normal muslim people do, and not in naqab, shalwar/kameez and topi like it is usually inflicted upon. The only thing that drew me away was the excessively sympathetic narrative towards some of the characters like Moin. The bias was very evident. How he could get away with doing the filthiest of acts and still portrayed as victim because of his vulnerabilities. All in all, Gully boy’s contagious upbeat spill of rhythmical rap along with beautifully picturized cinematic visuals took us to another world. This seamless fusion of dreams and reality will undoubtedly lighten up your day and definitely isn’t the one to be missed.
