Gullyboy Updates thread! - Page 37

Kalki Koechlin is listening to a lot of rap as she gears up to record a song with co-star Ranveer Singh for their upcoming film Gully Boy. The film, starring Ranveer and Alia Bhatt in the lead roles, is based on the lives of rappers of Dharavi, Vivian Fernandes aka Divine and Naezy known for their song Mere Gully Mein'.

"We did not prepare much except that we listened to a lot of rap. I started listening to Divine, Naezy, and tried to understand where this voice was coming from. My character has studied music in Berkeley and she comes back and is producing a video, she also writes music as well, Kalki said.

"I listened to a lot of rap, especially to get into that zone because Ranveer and I have to sing a song together. Anand Tiwari, is doing the music of the film, so he is teaching me the song, she says.

Gully Boy is the second collaboration between Kalki and director Zoya Akhtar after Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. "I love Zoya, she is so much fun. She is tomboyish, playful on the sets. She has a great sense of humour and timing and that shows in her script. At the same time, she is specific with what she wants as a director, Kalki said.

"It's about Dharavi slum rapping. Some of the rappers including Divine, Naezy and Kaam Bhari have written some amazing lyrics for the film. Ranveer Singh is playing a rapper in the film and I am playing a music producer who helps him in one of the songs in it. Alia Bhatt is also in the film and the film will be out early next year, Kalki spoke about the film.

Talking about Gully Boy, Ranveer had earlier said, "Gully Boy is perhaps the dearest film. It is one of the closest to me after Band Baaja Baaraat because Band Baaja Baaraat was my first film. This is a story that means a lot to me. The team wrapped up the shoot recently. Directed by Zoya Akhtar, the musical drama releases on February 14, 2019.

Rapper Vivian Fernandes, who is known by his stage name Divine and whose life is one of the inspirations for Zoya Akhtar's Gully Boy, feels good to see that cinema is recognizing hip hop music.

Divine, who played a heavy number in Anurag Kashyap's Mukkebaaz, feels glad to work with the filmmaker and thanks cinema for appreciating hip-hop music.

"Mukkebazz is a very good film and Anurag Kashyap has been one of my favourites for a while. I'm quite glad that my first foray into Bollywood was with this film.

"I don't think there is a bigger platform in India in terms of reach than cinema so it's great that real hip-hop is being recognised by the industry, the rapper said.

Gully Boy is inspired by the lives of Mumbai street rappers like him and Naezy and Divine, who entered the music industry in 2011, says he is excited about the film.

"I've been excited from the time the film was announced. I think Ranveer (Singh) was the best choice to play the lead in Gully Boy. He has completely immersed himself into the genre and everything associated with it as you can see from many videos of him which went viral in the past few months, he said.

So how does he see the culture of rap booming in India?

"Hip-hop and Rap have been present for a while in India but it's only in the past couple of years that real Hip-Hop started getting recognition, amongst the public. A lot of Indian rappers have received recognition through social media and reality shows, he said.