Gully Boy: Apna Time Aayega!

How often do you go to a movie, which has no bloodshed, no intense car chases, no hero-whacking-20-guys action sequences, no hero-stalking-heroine segments, etc..? Well, Gully Boy is that one film where you get none of the above mentioned. It’s storytelling at it’s finest, with very little commercial elements.

From the very first shot, it is established that Ranveer is a roadside romeo. But as we all know, how he attains great heights is the plot of the story. There are no over clichéd scenes, no romantic songs between the hero and heroine at some exotic locations, no ‘Yeh Kya hei’ portions. Zoya has finely crafted each scene in such a way that you can’t take your eyes off the screen.

There is a scene where you expect Ranveer to top it off in his very first rap battle. But, something different happens, and it provides the boost the story requires. Post that, it is completely racy. The rap battle portions have a lasting effect on you (the subtitles still make sense even if you don’t know Hindi).

Ranveer and Siddhant Chaturvedi are the rappers you see in the film. Ranveer has thrown away every ounce of him that looks rich and portrays the perfect ‘street-local’ guy with perfection. While the former looks street local, the latter is impressive with his attire, style, bro fists and the ‘come on bhaai’ phrases. The debutant Siddhant is off to a great start with this movie.

Alia Bhatt plays this crazy girlfriend of Ranveer, and she pulls off the character with ease, with realistic emotions. The only concern in this movie is Alia Bhatt’s characterisation. In a particular scene, being such a bright student, she fails to understand that there are two sides of a coin(watch the movie to understand this). On the whole, you would want to overlook the glitches in Alia’s character, as there’s so much more to the film.

Gully boy is not just about a roadside romeo trying to make it big. It is the homecoming of a few other characters as well, such as Alia and Ranveer’s mother, who are affected by the male chauvinistic society. In a particular scene when Ranveer and Siddhant meet Kalki Koechlin, they say “We thought you were a guy.” She responds saying “I’m sorry but I’m a girl.” Alia too utters a dialogue in a scene “I want to be like the other girls. Wear make-up, party on weekends, have guy friends come over.” When Ranveer is shown struggling with life, these women are struggling with their freedom. And when Ranveer achieves something in life, do these women finally get their freedom?

The rap battles and the background scores are one of the biggest factors that notch up the game. As said earlier, they’re enjoyable even if you aren’t familiar with the language. The beat boxing bgm’s would definitely want to make you tap your feet. ‘Apna Time Aayega’ is one song to look out for, which is placed perfectly, twice in the film.

If a film could entertain you for 2 and a half odd hours, make you laugh, cry and enjoy inside the theatre, give you a positive feel and makes you come out of the theatre with a smile on your face, wouldn’t you definitely go for it? Well, ‘Gully Boy’ is the film. It is worth every penny you spent. Go watch the movie at a fine theatre, thank me later.