Hot take: Gully Boy

‘Gully Boy’ (2019) (dir. Zoya Akhtar) is that rarity: a film that deserves every bit of its pre-release hype. Set in Dharavi, the giant slums in the heart of Mumbai, the film follows the life of Murad, a young man from a low-income Muslim household with an abusive father and mediocre career prospects. Caged both literally and figuratively in the few square feet of the room he shares with his 6-member family, Murad is an insecure man who has internalized that his self-worth is dictated by his circumstances. How he stumbles upon the emergent underground hip-hop scene and finds his voice is the substance of this realistic fairytale.

The acting performances are universally solid, with every person looking like they live and breathe the milieu: from the hot-headed and confident Safeena (Alia Bhatt) to the domineering father (Vijay Raaz), the rap mentor who is as warm as he is fierce (Siddhant Chaturvedi) to the anti-establishment rich girl (Kalki Koechlin). But the film is powered by a nuanced yet seething performance by Ranveer Singh, who will tear your heart out and leave you rooting for Murad’s victory. The rap songs are great but I would also make a special mention for the instrumental soundtrack, that underscores the drama just at the right times, and includes such a range of musical influences that it feels apt in this melting pot of a world. The cinematography is lyrical, framing people in tight close-ups when they are feeling stuck and soaring with them when they spread their wings and take flight. The aerial shots over Mumbai are a thing of beauty and even the portraits of poverty exude warmth, not condescension.

This is not a simple underdog tale, touching variously on themes of deep class divides, the dark underbelly of Mumbai, the value of art as resistance and community, the corrupt political system and the price of patriarchy. But the director maintains a light hand and never shifts focus from Murad’s journey. Mostly though, she must be lauded for presenting its characters in all shades of grey: right and wrong are not black or white in a world where one is so close to subsistence.

Finally, the hero is not some fearless specimen who morphs into a confident person from an insecure slumdog: he is simply a man who has understood that if he doesn’t speak out the words he writes, nobody ever will. Chasing your dreams is not a luxury for some, it is the only thing that can get them out of their dire circumstances, and rooting this almost clichéd trope in abject poverty is what gives this film its beating heart, despite a lengthy runtime. Move over 'Slumdog Millionaire', this is the real deal.

Genre: Drama, Music

Language: Hindi

Runtime: 2h 33min

Year of release: 2019

Streaming platform: Amazon Prime Video

Hot take is a series in which I offer my first impressions of films from India and around the world.