Gully Boy narrates the story of by-lanes, the gullies of India. It is a story of the other India that reminds of us of penury, which many of us want to forget, or more precisely, pretend it doesn’t exist.
The by-lanes lined with tiny houses, and its residents who generally are not considered important enough to be represented on the large screen, is what sets the movie apart. While moviegoers generally prefer feel-good movies, hats off to the makers who summoned the courage to narrate a Dharavi story with just a touch of melancholy, and oodles of positivity.
The story skillfully depicts the tribulations, struggles and the dreams of the protagonist, Murad. The movie focuses on the journey and the transformation of Murad to the gully boy (street boy), balancing the other characters who are a part of Murad’s tale. His polygamous father, subservient mother, a defiant and gutsy girlfriend and his friends struggling with their own lives, and his mentor who encourages him and gives him the much-needed push towards chasing his dreams, are an intricate part of his journey to success. The director’s narrative is astute, without any melodrama, and what is more appealing is that the narrative does not fall into the trap of repetitive cliches.
The story, for a change, is not about the underworld or gangsters, but about individuals working hard to achieve their dreams of a better life.
The one stereotype that could have been avoided is the second marriage of Murad’s father. Even without a second marriage, his father’s reaction wouldn’t have been any different. Despite that, the sheer brilliance of the movie, the use of the Mumbaiya slang, the honest characterization, and the effort to tell a nuanced story, deserves all the accolades coming its way.
The scene in which the foreign tourists visiting the slum, gasp with astonishment at space management in the shanty houses, depicts the reality of poverty tourism. Another explicit scene is when the affluent owner of the car Murad is hired to drive, in an effort to convince his daughter to pursue higher education abroad, mocks Murad’s graduate degree, without realizing how hard it must have been for a slum dweller to reach that rung of the ladder. It categorically portrayed the attitude of the privileged, so blind to the struggles of the underprivileged. This one scene intentionally or unintentionally brings out the class divide of the society.
The narrative and characterization deserve all the praise, but one can’t ignore the acting acumen of the lead stars- Alia, who played the highly engaging role of Safeena, and Ranveer Singh’s portrayal of Murad, that is nothing short of brilliant.
The generally hyperactive Ranveer, effortlessly plays the role of a modest and diffident Murad. He very subtly conveys the helplessness, rage, and the resolve of the character; he convincingly gets into the skin of character, making you empathize with Murad so deeply that you forget you are watching Ranveer Singh.
This is his best performance till date, and no other actor could have done justice to the role like Ranveer did. The credit, of course, goes to Zoya Akhtar for bringing out the best in him. The commercial success of the movie should motivate more such stories to be narrated on the silver screen- stories of the marginalized who don’t succumb to the monotony of life, but rather work hard to break the circle of life; stories that inspire others to dream for a better life.
Even if the main character was Madan and not Murad, the narrative would have been the same, but it is a welcome change to see a Muslim protagonist, without any negative characterization.
Gully boy is a story that had to be told, and it was told exceptionally well. Take a bow Zoya Akhtar and Ranveer Singh!