Archives for February 2019

Gully Boy – A Fun Loving & Highly Entertaining Movie Banner: Excel Entertainment & Tiger Baby Production
Producer: Ritesh Sadwani, Farhan Akhtar, Nas & Zoya Akhtar
Director: Zoya Akhtar
Star Cast: Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Kalki Koechlin, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Vijay Raaz, Vijay Varma, Amruta Subhsh, Ikhlaque Khan, Sheeba Chaddha, Rahul Piske, Jyoti Subhash, Nakul Roshan Sahdev, Shruti Chauhan, Vijay Maurya, Srishti Shrivastava, Malika Singh, Tina Bhatia, Rahil Gilani, Abdul Quadir Amin, Svar Kamble, Chaitnya Sharma, Jasleen Royal Jasleen Royal, Michaela Tanwar, Mohan Kapoor & Kubra Sait  
Music: Divine, Naezy, Dub Sharma, Ankur Tewari, Spitfire, Sez, Rishi Rich, Raghu Dixit, Midival Punditz, Karsh Kale, Chandrashekhar Kunder, Jasleen Royal, Micky McCleary, Ace, Ishq Bector, Prem-Hardeep, Viveick Rajagopalan, Kaam Bhaari, Akshay Dhawan, xD Pro, iLL Wayno, Salaam Remi, Karsh Kale, The Salvage Audio & Collective

Rapping is a celebrated form of music worldwide. It came up from the streets & was able to resonate with all sections of society. India too has had a rapping scene & 2 of them who are quite famous in this category are Divine & Naezy. Zoya Akhtar’s Gully Boy is loosely based on their lives & has managed to generate tremendous hype. The presence of Ranveer Singh & Alia Bhatt has also added to the buzz.
The scripted scenario of Gully Boy reveals the story of a timid slum dweller whose life changes thanks to his talent. Murad (Ranveer Singh) is a college student who lives in a slum in Mumbai’s Dharavi. He’s in a relationship with the fiery Safeena (Alia Bhatt), a medical student who comes from an orthodox upper caste Muslim family. There’s tension in Murad’s house as his father Shakir (Vijay Raaz) gets a second wife, much to the dismay of his mother Razia (Amruta Subhash). Meanwhile, one day an upcoming rapper MC Sher (Siddhant Chaturvedi) performs in Murad’s college & he gets floored. After all, he’s always been interested in rapping. MC Sher one day asks aspiring performers to meet him & Murad jumps at this opportunity. MC Sher takes a liking for Murad & motivates him to rap publicly. Murad is hesitant at first but he performs for the crowd who give him thumbs up. MC Sher even gets him to shoot a video which becomes very popular. However, Murad is not able to pursue his passion full time. He is compelled to step into his father’s shoes & become a chauffeur after the latter fractures his leg. He also has a complex on account of his social status. What happens next forms the crux of the film. 

Reema Kagti & Zoya Akhtar’s story is promising. The character of Murad is very well written & also the world around him. Many who had criticized Zoya for showing the world of the elite in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011) & Dil Dhadkane Do (2015) would surely be surprised. Also the writers have ensured that the film doesn’t turn out to be just a story of a rapper. It speaks about passion, aspiration & also makes an important commentary on poverty, social strata, juvenile delinquency, polygamy etc. Reema Kagti & Zoya Akhtar’s screenplay is highly effective. A lot of research has gone into the film & it shows. Several sequences are powerful & they hit you hard. Even the humor comes out very well. Vijay Maurya’s dialogues further add to the impact as they are acidic. The poems of Murad are penned by Javed Akhtar & they have their own charm. 

Zoya Akhtar’s direction is exemplary yet again & she proves that she is worthy of setting her film in diverse world & yet emerging victorious. However, the film has a few rough edges & one wishes she had taken care of it. The 2^nd half is quite lengthy. In fact, it feels like one is watching a three hour long film. A few characters like Safeena & Sky (Kalki Koechlin) are interesting but they don’t have much to do & conveniently disappear in the middle. Also the tone & the theme of the film is such that it won’t appeal to audiences pan India. The film features scenes of rap battle where one is supposed to roast the opponent & get personal. Such scenes may put off a section of the audiences.
Gully Boy is not the usual entertainer & this becomes evident in the 1^st ever scene itself. However, the goings on are very interesting & suck you into the world of these characters. The entry of Safeena adds to the fun & the sequence where she assaults Albina, a girl who shows interest in Murad, will bring the house down. Murad’s struggles & his bond with MC Sher is also well depicted. A few scenes are exceptionally directed like Murad’s 1^st ever performance. Another scene that stands out in the 1^st ever half is when Murad gets the idea of the song “Doori”in the car. Post interval, the interest dips a bit. The film gets stretched & also has far too many sub plots. The climax thankfully is when the film picks up beautifully. The film ends on a high note.
There are far too many songs in the film & none of them are conventional chartbusters, considering the theme of the film. But few of them stand out. “Apna Time Aayega”has got noticed & takes the film to another level. “MereGully Mein”is peppy while “Azadi”is riveting. “Doori”is quite touching. “SherAaya Sher”, played during MC Sher’s entry is decent. Background score is in sync with the film.
Jay Oza’s cinematography is magnificent & gives the film a fine look. Even in the finale, the lensman’s fine job adds to the effect. Arjun Bhasin & Poornamrita Singh’s costume are stylish & realistic. Manohar Verma & Sunil Rodrigues’ action is also quite real. The latter has choreographed Alia Bhatt’s action scene & it’s one of the film’s highpoints. Suzanne Caplan Merwanji’s production design is authentic. Nitin Baid’s editing is stylish but could have been crisper in the 2^nd half. Ranveer Singh gets completely into the skin of his character. He is 10 years older than Murad in real life & yet he convincingly manages to essay the role of a college student. Even as a rapper, he seems like a pro & not even once does it feel that he’s acting for the part. Also watch out for the scenes where he’s playing 2^nd fiddle to MC Sher in the 1^st ever half. For a lead actor to do so is quite praiseworthy. Alia Bhatt is explosive to say the least. Her role would be loved & she’s so good that one wishes she had more screen time. Siddhant Chaturvedi makes a solid debut. He has a crucial part & would surely be talked about. Kalki Koechlin leaves a tremendous mark in a small role. Vijay Varma (Moeen) is satisfactory. Vijay Raaz is quite nice & makes an impact, especially in the pre – climax. Amruta Subhash is decent. Shrishti Shrivastava (Albina) is hilarious. Jyoti Subhash (Murad’s grandmother) makes her presence felt in a crucial scene in the 2^nd half. The rest of the actor’s like Rahul Piske & Abdul Qadir Amin are fine.
On the whole, Gully Boy is a fun & moving entertainer that will surely resonate with the youth & multiplex-frequenting urban audiences.
At the box office, the 4 day weekend ensured that it emerged as a profitable venture for its makers. 

‘Pad Man’ Akshay Kumar Calls On ‘Pad Heroes’ Across India

 ‘Pad Man’ Akshay Kumar calls on ‘Pad Heroes’ across India to join him & the Niine Movement for the nationwide running event Run4Niine. Online registrations have already begun for the event which is set to become India’s largest nationwide run for menstrual hygiene awareness, with the hope of setting the Guinness World Record for organizing the “Largest Number of Runs in a Single Day for Menstrual Hygiene Awareness”.

 Speaking about his association with Run4Niine, megastar Akshay Kumar averred, “It’s already been more than a year since the release of Pad Man, and I am proud to see how it has evolved into a phenomenal grass roots level movement. Once again, I am excited to be partnering with the Niine Movement to encourage an open & unashamed discussion on menstruation with my fellow citizens, pad heroes, change makers & pathbreakers for the Run4Niine. Each one of us that takes part in Run4Niine helps to create an unstoppable force that will beat the stigma around periods.”  

Run4Niine will take place in 100’s of cities across 20+ states in India on 8^thMar, 2019 to mark International Women’s Day. Some of the states where runs have been confirmed include Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Haryana, Goa, Jharkhand, NCR, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra & above all Punjab. 

Akshay Kumar is all set to flag-off Run4Niine in Lucknow followed by event extravaganza. The nationwide activities organized by the Niine Movement, in partnership with JCI India, FOGSI, & Niine Sanitary Napkins are all set to be held in up to 500 cities. Campaign aims to bridge the gap between sanitary napkin users from 18% to 82% bringing together both genders, across all ages, backgrounds & of all abilities. Run4Niine participants can run, walk, jog & wheel across their cities united by one vision, breaking the stigma around periods to leave no one behind. Runs will take place in Lucknow, where Future Sahara hospital will support as medical partner,  Gurgaon at Leisure Valley, where Niine will be supported by Gurgaon Women Police members & senior legal counsels, Fortis Hospitals will be supporting Run4Niine as Medical Partner across the country in cities they are present in.