Set in Mumbai’s multi-religious, multi-ethnic Dharavi Slum, Gully Boy is the journey of Murad, a young Muslim man nearing the end of college. Warned that dreaming of a better life will bring disappointment, he swallows his anger. Standing hopelessly by while his mother is forced to serve the young woman his father just married, Murad finds a release for his bitterness in his poetry. After becoming aware of a group of underground rappers, he is encouraged to rap his own story.

Gully Boy was directed by Zoya Akhtar and written by Zoya and Reema Kagti. The story was told in brief but memorable scenes of love, despair, hope, sweetness, and passion. She has compassion for the dignity of the residents of Dharavi and the cramped spaces they live in.

Ranveer Singh brings Murad to life. He gradually turns from the obedient son of a bully into a young man who takes risks and finds the courage to live life on his own terms. No sign of Ranveer’s glam outrageous real-life personality in this performance. He blends into his surroundings perfectly. He respects his elders, cares about orphaned slum kids, and takes his religion seriously. Murad is a good man, but circumstances have left him humiliated and in pain.

Alia Bhatt as Safeena is Murad’s anchor, a girl who is confident in her ability to fight for the future she wants, but she is impulsive and fiercely jealous. The rest of the cast is excellent too. Siddhant Chaturvedi, as MC Sher, realizes Gully Boy’s talent and chooses not to compete with him but mentor him. Vijay Raaz as Murad’s harsh, hard-working father Aftab. Amruta Subhash is Murad’s humiliated and unloved mother. Vijay Varma is a petty thief and drug dealer which a heart for street kids. Finally, Kalki Koechlin as Sky, a stereotypical American girl with loose morals, who takes Murad’s career to the next level.

Gully Boy is India’s first movie to highlight the music of Mumbai’s street rappers. They do not rap about ‘my ride, my shoes, my rags, my liquor, my chicks’. The songs of the movie, written by many composers and lyricists, effectively capture the soul of the story, that everyone has the right to work toward a dream of their own.