Gully Boy

"Without overtly drawing attention to it, she makes a strong feminist statement in Safeena's character, some sharp observations about minorities, and also about the world we live in and the place in it for those with lesser means. That's a lot to pack into a film that works on surface level as a highly entertaining musical drama. I came away with an appreciation for Indian hip-hop, which frankly I knew nothing about until now. I loved this film from inside my bones."

"Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt's Gully Boy, an underdog story shining a light on India's incipient hip-hop subculture, is the first great Hindi film of 2019 and a rousing celebration of spunk."

"...this is a film to enjoy, both in the seeing, and in the hearing: the soundtrack and the 'songs' leap off the screen. In today's India, to bring a Murad and Safeena, their Muslim-ness a matter-of-fact statement, into centre-stage, to give traction to those who live on the wrong side of the tracks, is an act of bravery. I'll take them any day over an overused Raj-and-Raveena. 'Inka time aa gaya'. Rap along."

"In an era of which Bollywood is increasingly passing off pulpy apologies for demagoguery for cinema, Gully Boy could have been a fitting riposte. It just doesn't go far enough to pose discomfiting questions in keeping with the art of the street rapper. But all said and done, Gully Boy can be whole-heartedly commended for its craft, fascinating characters and RANVEER SINGH. He absolutely kills the slow-burning rapper act. What's more, he does with a lot of energy to spare."

"Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt deliver a knock out film that hits the right notes with performances that soar, not just fly"

"Every Frame Breathes Life Into Our Souls! Gully Boy is a once-in-a-blue-moon film! There rarely comes a film that perfects almost everything."

"Gully Boy is a new kind of 'Angry Young Man' movie, in effect - seamlessly merging sub-culture with pop mainstream."

"There's a reason the film feels legit and that's down to the fact that real rap artistes worked on this film. The treatment and the visual finesse of the film are at par with anything you've seen from Hollywood or anywhere around the world. The rap battles shown in the film are riveting and an inspired piece of writing. The problem with the film though is it's length, which stretches to two-and-a-half hours, but the emotional deftness and clap-worth dialogues add the right amount of gusto and keep you totally engaged. This is a film that deserves an encore. And in true rap style, let's just say… yeh Gully Boy hard hai bhai!"

"Watch Gully Boy. It's a winner. Ranveer ka time aa gaya!"

"Gully Boy is a glorious blend of hip-hop and assured film-making..."

"For a film that is about protest music, the music of anger and rebellion, Gully Boy is surprisingly quiet and extremely funny. Its understatedness and sense of humour are among the multiple reasons why it is also one of the best films to emerge from the Hindi cinemascape in recent times."

"A man sits silently, locked in the darkness of a car as the world outside blares and glitters under the glow of the night sky and fairy lights. It's a defining moment. One where the man is determined to fight the social dictums to swap his unglamorous life for a more celebrated one.  There are no words spoken. Yet, a lot is said. Therein lies the beauty of director Zoya Akhtar's work."

"In all, Gully Boy is a rhythmic blast with Singh soaring to superlative highs as an actor."

"A brilliant film after a long time, and you take Ranveer Singh back into your heart as you think, 'Apna time aayega' (my time will come!)."

"Gully Boy is a piece of must watch – the movie is inspiring as it tells the tale of an underdog who goes out all big. Watch it in theatres to get a glimpse of upcoming rap culture in the country."

"Parallels with Eminem's 8 Mile are inevitable because both rappers battle difficult domestic lives to explode on stage with material that relays their ordeals. But this gully boy proves that you don't need to be slim or shady as long as you can rhyme with reason."

"GULLY BOY is a fun and moving entertainer that will surely resonate with the youth and multiplex-frequenting urban audiences. At the box office, the four day weekend will ensure that it emerges a profitable venture for its makers."

"While this kind of story feels a bit familiar, its excellent music & sense of realism along with the fine performances make up for it."

"The main star of the film is its music. The many artistes who are credited for the music of the film do a classy job with the soundtrack. If Ranveer Singh is the life of Gully Boy, the music is its soul. The lyrics, the beats all scream revolution. Azadi. Hindustan gets its asli hip hop in a Bollywood film. In all, it fails to rise. Apna time aayega. But today is not the day."

"Ranveer Singh Owns This Film About Oppression And The Right To Dream"

"This might be an incongruous analogy, but Zoya Akhtar's "Gully Boy" is like those picture-in-picture debates you see on prime-time news, but in a good way. There is a central story with many windows open at once, essentially leading to the main plot, but also alive in their own way, thus making the big picture seem that much more textured and vibrant."

"A Softer Than Expected, But Hugely Entertaining And Beautifully Made Street-Rapper Story"

"A compelling fairy tale with a standout performance by Ranveer Singh..."

"Ranveer Singh leads from the front in an empathetic, feel good tale about turning your imperfect reality into a long-cherished and impossible fantasy"

"'Gully Boy' amplifies a voice from the streets..."