Trailer Watch: 'Gully Boy'

‘Apna Time Aayega.’ Every dog has his day.

Never, at least in recent history (okay one exaggerates slightly), has a film been so hotly anticipated and never has the consensus been so unanimous in its praise for a trailer as it has been for what is inevitably, one of the most eagerly awaited films of the year.

A re-telling of the real life underdog story of an underground rapper and his meteoric rise to fame, Zoya Akhtar’s Gully Boy charts the journey of a slum dweller (Ranveer Singh, in what appears to be his career best), his subsequent brush with fame, and his love story with a young Muslim girl (Alia Bhatt).

Singh looks like he’s outdone himself

Perhaps what stands tall in Gully Boy, is its mood and setting, which appears rooted in realism – the slums, the outlandish stage sequences all smack of authenticity and originality and it’s inevitable that Akhtar, at least on paper, has an inspiring story to tell here.

Of course she’s visibly aided by tinsel town’s most happening heartthrobs Bhatt and Singh, both of whom are currently riding a wave of success after their films (Raazi, Padmaavat, Simmba), set the cash registers jingling, and here too, they seemed to have pulled out all the stops to deliver performances that will remain etched in audience memory irrespective of the outcome of the film. Singh, especially, is in his element and seems to have really mastered the nuances of his character, rapping with abandon, and his look here is far from what he has attempted until now – testament to his versatility and a reservoir of talent that as yet, fully hasn’t been tapped into. But in Zoya we trust.

From slum dweller to rap star - Zoya Akhtar’s film is already ticking all the right boxes

Bhatt, meanwhile, gets to mouth a few lines of striking dialogue that will probably get a lot of women cheering and it’s to her credit, that she delivers them with as much confidence and conviction – kudos to the film’s writers then, for not making her a simpering mess relying on the hero, because having her do that in a film that is more about the street rapper could have been the easier way out.

Gully Boy also features Kalki Koechlin, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Vijay Varma and Vijay Raaz and hits the marquee this Valentines. Are you wetting your pants in anticipation yet?