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    As 'Gully Boy' Inches Indian Hip-Hop Into The Mainstream, Its Underground Soldiers On

    A new Bollywood hit may have been based on their lives, but the rappers and producers of India's hip-hop underground saw no money, and little exposure, from it. And they don't seem to care.
    by Dhruva Balram Mar 29, 2019 5 minutes
    Ranveer Singh, one of the stars of the recent film <em>Gully Boy</em>, at a publicity event in Mumbai on Jan. 9, 2019. The film has put a spotlight on Indian hip-hop, to the chagrin of some working in it.

    Gully Boy, a film that follows the rags-to-riches tale of a rapper pursuing his dreams, has swept South Asia and its diaspora into a fervor, helping bring Indian hip-hop into the mainstream conversation. Directed by Zoya Akhtar and starring Bollywood heavyweights Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh, Gully Boy has become the year's highest-grossing Bollywood film overseas. Singh portrays Murad, a college student on the cusp of graduation who writes lyrics to express the many frustrations of his life: his abusive father marrying a second, much younger wife; living in Dharavi, a Mumbai slum; his lack of opportunities to escape. Over the course of the movie, Murad becomes renowned as the 'Gully Boy' — "gully" loosely translates to "hood" — a rising star in Mumbai hip-hop circles. Alongside newcomer Siddhant Chaturvedi — who captivates in his portrayal of Murad's mentor, MC Sher — the movie, of course, charts Murad's rise to stardom.

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