By Rusheen Bansal
Hustle. Hard work. Crude reality. Shame. Fame. Belief. MC SHER, the epitome of the entire movie.
Some may say this is a typical rags-to-riches story with an impressive soundtrack. But honestly, all I can really do is bow down to the holy queen we love, Zoya Akhtar. She did it. She did it ALL. Zoya Akhtar single-handedly tackled, portrayed and picked apart every single pressing socio-cultural issue in India right now. From unemployment, poverty, classism, drug trafficking and child labour to toxic masculinity, domestic violence, body-shaming and the problems of having conservative parents.
First of all, the acting. The movie opens with an odd scene playing, Murad (Ranveer Singh), Moeed (Vijay Verma) and Salman (Nakul Sachdeva) stealing a car from the quiet streets of New Delhi. I could feel the swagger just by the way they walked, and right then I knew, I was in for an absolute treat. The credits in the beginning flashed, “Introducing Siddhant Chaturvedi,” but considering the sub-par actors we have recently had the pleasure of watching, that was tossed to the back of my mind. I was here to watch Ranveer Singh dominate the screen. Admitted, he did. His chemistry with Safeena (Alia Bhatt), a high-spirited quick-witted medical student, was unexpected yet mind-blowing. The side characters also developed gracefully and the casting was remarkable. The ease with which these actors wore their characters was apparent, which everything from their accurate accents to their daring dialogues highlighted. HOWEVER, when the camera first revealed MC Sher (Siddhant Chaturvedi) and his commendable acting, I couldn’t help but think that he’s done this before. There is no way someone this good is a first-timer. The dominating vibe he presented was beautiful to watch. Also, it was very ironic how he played a mentor to Murad in the movie, where irl Ranveer Singh mentored and groomed Siddhant for his big role.
On another note, the music was exceptional. The snazzy beats and the rhythmic verses stole all our hearts. It was not the mainstream rap we hear on the radio. This was unearthed from the gutters of the heart. This was real and this was the truth. Each song hit you differently. ‘Meri Gully Mein’ highlighted Murad’s roots and his pride for his gully, ‘Train Song’ sang about the flip of fate for Murad and ‘Jahaan Tu Chala’ was a soulful melody about a lost boy.
All things considered, I can proudly say that Gully Boy took me apart and then put me back together. This movie ran through the gullies of my soul, leaving a warm feeling all over. This movie embodies the future of Indian Cinema, from the hip-hop to the brilliant debutant Siddhant. But most importantly, it inspired me to live for me. It motivated me to achieve my dreams for myself. To live for myself. To work hard for myself. To love myself.
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