Zoya Akhtar is known for directing path-breaking cinema. From Luck By Chance to Dil Dhadakne Do, the filmmaker has brought out stories that were loved by critics and audiences alike. Among them was also the 2019 film Gully Boy starring Alia Bhatt, Ranveer Singh, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Vijay Varma and others. However, not many know that Javed Akhtar was doubtful whether his daughter Zoya Akhtar could pull off a film like that.
The lyricist and writer recenly recalled, “Ye jab bana rahi thi Gully Boy, to mujhe lag raha tha ye kaise banayegi? Arey tum Bandstand pe rehti ho, chhuttiyon mein London America jaya karti thi. Hong Kong jaati thi. Kahaan tumhe ye sab (Mumbai’s underbelly) ke baare mein kya malum hoga? Aisa main dil mein sochta tha. Bolne ki to himmat nahi thi mujhe (When she was making Gully Boy, I thought ‘How will she make it?’ You stay in Bandstand, and go for holiday in London, America and Hong Kong. How would you know about all this? I used to think about it, but never had the courage to tell her).”
Praising Zoya Akhtar, Javed Akhtar added, “Magar jab maine wo film dekhi, to mujhe aisa laga ki saari zindagi ye slum mein rahi hai. Isne slum ko pee liya tha. Slum ke bareek se bareek baatein, jo characters ke relationship hai, wo dikhayi deti hai. (When I watched the film, it felt as if Zoya had stayed in slums all her life. The film portrays the minutest details of the characters and their relationships quite well).”
The 2019 film directed by Zoya Akhtar is loosely based on the lives of Indian rappers Divine and Naezy. It shows how they rose from the slums of Dharavi to become prominent names in the music industry. It focused on the struggles of the characters and the opposition they faced as the people they grew up around didn’t relate to their aspirations of becoming a rapper. For the 92nd Academy Awards, Gully Boy was the Indian entry for the Best International Feature Film.
Comments
0 comment