Gully Boy
- Director
- Zoya Akhtar
- Studio
- Excel EntertainmentTiger Baby Films
- Release Date
- 13 February 2019
- Running Time
- 153 min
- Language
- Hindi
- Country
- India
- Budget
- ₹60.00 Cr
- Box Office
- ₹238.16 Cr
Review
Zoya Akhtar's *Gully Boy* arrives as a genuinely refreshing entry into Hindi cinema's coming-of-age canon, one that trades the drawing rooms and colleges of its predecessors for the gritty lanes of Dharavi. The film excels in capturing the raw energy of underground rap culture while grounding itself firmly in the lived reality of its protagonist—a young man navigating poverty, domestic violence, and artistic ambition simultaneously. Ranveer Singh delivers a performance of surprising vulnerability beneath the swagger, while the supporting cast brings authentic texture to the world; the chemistry between Singh and Siddhant Chaturvedi's MC Sher particularly crackles with genuine camaraderie. Akhtar's direction pulses with kinetic urgency, especially during the rap battle sequences and YouTube video montages, which feel organically integrated rather than didactic.
Where the narrative stumbles is in its romantic plotting, which feels somewhat conventional against the film's otherwise unconventional backdrop. The love triangle between Murad, Safeena, and Sky occasionally derails the film's thematic momentum, with Safeena's arc in particular veering into troubling territory that the screenplay doesn't adequately interrogate. The tonal shifts between intimate family drama and inspirational underdog story aren't always seamlessly balanced, and certain sequences prioritize sentiment over the critical social commentary the film initially promises. Yet these missteps don't diminish what
Storyline
Murad Ahmed, a final year college student, lives in the Dharavi slums of Mumbai. His abusive father, Aftab Shakir Ahmed, brings home a much younger second wife, much to the chagrin of the family. Murad nurtures a fascination for rap music. His longtime and overly possessive girlfriend Safeena Firdausi is training to be a surgeon and routinely meets him in secret.
Forced to work part-time as a chauffeur after Aftab is injured, Murad starts to write; his lyrics are informed by the inequalities he observes while on the job. He befriends local rapper Shrikant "MC Sher" Bhosle, whom he sees performing in his college fest. MC Sher invites him to perform at underground shows and rap battles, eventually collaborating with him for a rap video on YouTube.
Berklee College student Shweta "Sky" Mehta, a record producer, reaches out to Murad and Sher after seeing the video, offering to collaborate on a new song. The accompanying video, which is shot in Dharavi, rapidly becomes popular. Murad and Sky grow close and eventually kiss, which Murad keeps from Safeena. When Safeena finds out, she reacts violently towards Sky by smashing a bottle of beer on her head. As a result, she is brought in by the police but is not arrested as Sky doesn't press charges against her. Murad eventually breaks up with Safeena due to her possessive nature. As Aftab's violence towards him, his brother, Suhail, and his mother, Razia, escalates, Murad decides to leave home with Razia and Suhail and work full-time for his maternal uncle Ateeq Khan.
Later, when Sky expresses her romantic feelings for him, Murad declines her advances as he still loves Safeena and decides to reconcile with her. Murad and Sher enter a contest to open for Nas at his Mumbai concert, and Murad advances to the finals after a successful rap battle. His confidence having improved from the appreciation he receives from fans, Murad finally stands up to Aftab and Ateeq when they belittle his passion. He later gets back together with
