Poster of Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt's Gully Boy (courtesy aliaabhatt)
Highlights
- "I am sure lot of people want to pair Alia and Ranveer," said Zoya Akhtar
- "We loved that they both said 'yes'," said Zoya
- Gully Boy is said to be based on the life of Indian rapper Divine
The teaser of Gully Boy offered the first glimpses of Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh's onscreen pairing together and oh boy, movie-buffs simply loved it. Gully Boy, which is said to be based on the life of Indian rapper Divine, casts Ranveer Singh as a struggling rapper hailing from Mumbai slums and Alia Bhatt plays his love interest. A day ahead of the film's trailer release, writer-director Zoya Akhtar told news agency IANS that the film was written with just Ranveer and Alia in mind: "I am sure lot of people want to pair Alia and Ranveer. We wrote the part with Alia in mind and Ranveer in mind." Zoya, who brings together Ranveer and Alia for the first time on the big screen, added: "So there was no question and we loved that they both said 'yes'," reported IANS.
Gully Boy has generated much interest in the audience already for the film's storyline, about which, Zoya added: "I like the genre of music, I like the idea of coming-of-age on a sense and it's an underdog story. It's the story about a boy... so everything attracted me to it, every single thing. And it's a story about my city and Mumbai is a very special place."
"It's one place where I honestly believe that anything can happen. Like you can go this way and be up there and you can go that way and fall down. You can literally feel the heat around the corner and this place is magic. If you sit here and all of it put together, it's just very exciting, I just couldn't resist," she added. Zoya Akhtar simply summed up the essence of Gully Boy's teaser, which is set to a rap number by Ranveer and in which Mumbai forms an indispensable part.
About what makes Gully Boy stand out, Zoya Akhtar said: "This one is different because it's maybe because your circumstances maybe completely different and your experience in life in terms of the way you navigate it and negotiate it may be completely different. But if you can empathise with a character and if you can emotionally resonate with that character and understand their emotional journey, I think you are home. If you can recognize that in people, I think you can contribute to their story."
The cast of Gully Boy also includes Kalki Koechlin. Gully Boy is all set to hit screens on February 14.
(With IANS inputs)