Ranveer Singh feels that the character Murad in Zoya Akhtar's 2019 musical Gully Boy was "tailor-made" for him as he could relate to him on many levels. "A lot of people who know me a little say that the role was perfect for me or tailor made for me and I will tell you why because it was a combination of a lot of things which resonated with me very, very deeply," news agency ANI quoted Ranveer Singh as saying. Gully Boy showcased the story homegrown rap explored through the struggles and triumphs of its protagonist Murad, played by Ranveer Singh. The film chronicled Murad's journey from the slums of Dharavi to the centrestage of rap.
Ranveer added that the film was, in a way, was his tribute to Mumbai, which he considers to be his "karm bhoomi." The actor said, "I am a bonafide Mumbai lad - yeh meri karm bhoomi hai, janam bhoomi hai. So, it means a lot to me and I am very proud of my city. Mahanagri isse kehte hain and I see all the beautiful aspects of it."
Ranveer Singh's love for music needs no introduction. The actor, who set up his own music record label called IncInk, last year, said, "My connection with the character was at a very deep level and Gully Boy has been one of my most rewarding experiences. I am ever so grateful to Zoya for making me a part of it." He added, "What Zoya created was a love letter to Mumbai and along with the theme of Mumbai city, there was rap and hip hop which also resonates with me very, very deeply."
Co-produced by Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar, the film also starred Alia Bhatt, Kalki Koechlin, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Vijay Raaz, Amruta Subhash and Vijay Varma. Gully Boy emerged as a hit at the Indian box office and won in all the major categories at this year's Filmfare Awards. The film was India's official entry for this year's Oscars. However, it failed to make it to the shortlist of 10 hopefuls for Best Foreign Film.
Gully Boy even performed well in the international arena. The film received the Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC) Award at the 23rd Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN) in South Korea. It even won the Best Film Award at Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IIFM). The film also premiered at the Berlin Film Festival.
(With inputs from ANI)
