Gully Boy - Film Review

“There shooter-on ka khaas meri gully mein

Poorey sheher ki awaaz meri gully mein

Meri gully, meri gully gully gully mein

Meri gully, meri gully gully gully mein”

#GullyBoy may turn out to be THE defining youth cult movie of this generation. 

Being young is synonymous with being obsessed with finding ourselves. Defining our own identity is often a struggle between three parts of our lives that are in constant conflict with each other - our family or parents, the world and society at large, and our own emotions and fluid notions. Dil Chahta Hai (2001, Farhan Akhtar) was the youth movie for the 1990s generation, who were concerned with finding themselves through an inward journey of their own personal romantic experiences. Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011, Zoya Akhtar), ten years later, was the youth movie of the 2000s generation, who were trying to find themselves through an outward journey of resolving the struggle between their heart (what they wanted to do) and their mind (what they chose to do). And Gully Boy (2019, Zoya Akhtar), almost ten years later, is possibly the youth movie of this generation, who are trying to find themselves through defining the world too.  

The story is about Murad (Ranveer Singh) who lives in a troubled family in Dharavi in Mumbai but keeps his sanity together through a gang of supportive friends and strong girlfriend (Alia Bhatt). Harbouring a hidden talent for writing poetry, he is drawn to a local rap artist MC Sher (Siddhant Chaturvedi), who becomes his mentor to bring out the rap artist inside him. Through a series of emotional ups and downs, youtube hits and being discovered by more producers (Kalki Koechlin), he finally breaks out of his internal and social barriers, finding his calling of becoming the rap sensation that he truly is.  

But, Gully Boy is not just a rap-to-riches story. In fact, the story is almost incidental, the happy ending almost irrelevant. And the movie knows it. The beauty of the movie is in the ugliness it shows in the cities that we live, and the story just becomes the canvas against which to paint the portrait of the city through the eyes of a gully.

The movie is not just about celebrating the rap movement as a sub-culture of our cities. The movie IS the rap itself, which through its poetry, its narrative, its dialogues and its characters, shows an angry mirror to the society we live in. It ridicules the misogynist chauvinistic male (song, Sher Aya Sher). It pokes at the nationalistic intolerant sentiment that is raging through our country (song, Jingostan Beatbox). It makes us feel the helplessness of the quiet acceptance of inequality in our society (song, Doori). And most of all, it puts at centre, the unleashing of the power-within of an individual, as the only way to move forward (“tere andar ka lava fattney de”).

Ranveer Singh, as Murad aka Gully Boy, is brilliant as an understated, self-effacing, introverted slum boy. It’s a reminder that he is a talented actor and he can do more than just the usual over-the-top performances. Alia Bhatt, as always, gives a convincing role, as Safeena the strong-willed girlfriend, standing in-step with Murad, egging him on. Though we would have wanted to see more of her. Newcomer, Siddhant Chaturvedi, as MC Sher, is a discovery. He is a force of nature, as an accomplished rapper, with the look and body language that exudes power-packed rap throughout the movie. 

The soundtrack beautifully accompanies the rhythm, mood and the beat-box of the movie. And is possibly one of its kind rap album that we will be listening for a long time to come.

Gully Boy simply must be watched, because it is an important film of our time. Because it breaks format. 

It is set in the slums, without any filter. It speaks honestly about our lives but doesn’t lose hope. It is angry at what we’ve become but doesn’t endorse violence. It’s a feel-bad movie that is liberating. It is a movie dedicated to rap! Need I say more…

"Apna time aayega, Apna time aayega, apna time aayega

Tu nanga hi toh aaya hai, kya ghanta lekar jaayega"

Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga - Film Review

What’s a movie without an agenda these days? If we don’t make a point with a movie, what’s the point, right? Especially if that point is a whole point of view that we want to establish very clearly, in black and white. So that no one misses the point. Unfortunately, that’s the point where the movie starts missing the whole point!

To give credit where it’s due, full marks to the producer (Vidhu Vinod Chopra) and director (Shelly Chopra Dhar) to try and bring the topic of homosexuality as the mainstay of a love story, with the sole purpose of bringing understanding and tolerance in a society that is still depressingly discriminating, Section 377 or not. We applaud the intent behind the movie. And we applaud the attempt to use mainstream stars and classic Bollywood melodrama (or as the protagonist of the story Sweety, calls it ‘siyappa’) to bring the message to the larger public.

But, the message cannot be the movie. A good film with a point of view is one that makes the audience feel the message through its storytelling. Think #UdtaPunjab. By building characters that we identify with, a good film helps us understand how prejudiced we can be towards people we think choose an abnormal path. Think #BadhaaiHo. Through dramatic scenes and emotions, a good film shows us a mirror to our faces, making us realise the unequal society we live in. Think #Pink Through powerful moments and dialogues, a good film gives us a way of correcting our discriminatory ways towards a more open and inclusive society. Think #Dangal

Alas, #EkLadkiKoDekhaTohAisaLaga is a film with a message, but is not a good film. The story revolves around Sweety Chaudhary (Sonam Kapoor) an introverted young girl living in traditional minded but loving Punjabi business family, headed by father Balbir Chaudhary (Anil Kapoor). She wants to escape to find her true love but is dominated by her alpha-male brother, Babloo (Abhishek Duhan), till a chance encounter with wanna-be theatre playwright Sahil Mirza (Rajkumar Rao) gives her a friend for life, who then becomes her partner-in-crime to help her unite with her true love. The movie meanders around in the first half, with pointless jokes and seen-before family antics till the big turning point is revealed right before the interval. This raises hope for a potentially interesting plot to take over. But, after the interval, it continues with the same un-entertaining moments, and many near-lectures of how people’s sexuality is not a disease, but something they are born with. And how we should accept the people we love, just the way they are. Hey-ho-hum. Where have we heard that before!

Anil Kapoor, as the dad, with a secret love for cooking gives some delightful moments in the film, with great comic timing and real emotions. Sonam Kapoor, as usual, is un-impactful and that is a pity because she is the central character of the movie, but she makes a bad story-telling fizzle down even more. Rajkumar Rao is wasted both as the unconvincing romantic in the first half and as the crusading friend in the second half. Juhi Chawla, as a random pointless character with too much screen time, overacts as an exaggerated Punjabi aunty that we have seen toooooooo many times. And Abhishek Duhan, with quite a substantial part, gives a monochromatic (I’m always angry and macho) performance. All and all, pretty underwhelming.

The film tries too hard to make the point. And for all the dialogues it has about ‘listening to your heart and not your head’, it is a movie that is all ‘head’, spelling out for us what we should think and why it matters. At some level, perhaps main-stream Bollywood is not able to understand alternate genders in a real way, and that’s why is not able to tell stories on this topic that are real.  

As we’ve seen in recent Hindi cinema over the last few years, we have come a long way in telling real stories about women, families, social issues, youth lives, etc. But it seems we have a way to go on homosexuality.  But at least, we have started. For that, we give this film some credit.