GULLY BOY

India, 2019, 155 minutes, Colour.
Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Siddant Chaturverdi, Vijay Varma, Kalki Koechlin.
Directed by Zoya Akhtar.


The title refers to the central character, Marud (Ranveer Singh) who has a talent for creating rap lyrics and performing. What holds him back is that he belongs to the lower class, possibly the lowest cast, lives in an impoverished area of the city where it is taken for granted that the inhabitants will never rise to anything in their lives, are servants, and need to know their place.

This is Mumbai USA! Although, perhaps, some American audiences might be rather envious of the talent of these Indian rappers and the opportunities they create for themselves and search for. In fact, the screenplay is very American, a story parallel to rappers in the city neighbourhoods – with English subtitles always referring to homies, bro, the hood. And there are drugs and drug dealers in the area.

As for many Indian films, this one runs for over 2 ½ hours. It is in Hindi. It is set in Mumbai. Although the central characters are all Muslim. Interesting to see that the director taking on these themes and male characters is a woman.

The film opens with three friends at a carjacking, a theme that will recur during the film, an episode of desperation that will jolt the consciences of the men.

Murad is doing some studies, financed by his father who is strongly of the opinion that his son must seize any opportunity, working in an office, because that is the most he will achieve in life. The father is a very harsh and physically brutal man towards his son and towards his wife. This harshness of parents is a strong theme of the film, occurring also in the family of the rather tough young woman, Safeena, studying medicine, ambitions to be a surgeon, who has been in love with Murad since they were 13. In her case, the mother is the one who is rather demanding, more than demanding, also physically brutal at moments, wanting to arrange a marriage and only then to allow her daughter to continue studies.

There is a very genial rapper, Sher, who befriends Murad, with friends, speculate on a name for him – it turns out to be Gully Boy. He records for YouTube? and continues to get many hits, many fans. Included is an American-Indian? young woman who has the money to do a project for the University of Music in Boston, working with Sher, lyrics, rhythms, working in a studio, but a very elaborate and entertaining video of one of the songs filmed in the music-video style, right throughout the streets of the neighbourhood – and everyone in the neighbourhood enthusiastically applauding.

So, many emotional problems, confrontations, Safeena being particularly brutal towards women that she feels Threatened her relationship with Marud. In fact, she has a surprisingly short fuse which does not do her any credit and gets her into trouble.

And, as with this kind of film, there has to be a competition. An American rapper is about to visit Mumbai and the call goes out for auditions amongst rappers to be part of his supporting show. Gully Boy walks out on his office job, performs (a competition of pairs sparking off each other with insults galore) and, of course, well, we know what will happen.

In the last part of the film there is a final performance, everybody in Marud’s life present, including his father, and the possibility that he and Safeena will have a future together, he rapping and she is a doctor

So, a blend of Indian contemporary urban problems as well as an enthusiastic embracing of rap music – a different entree into music and dancing in the home of Bollywood.