Rappers Divine and Naezy have long been linked to the success of Gully Boy, the 2019 film that brought Mumbai’s underground rap scene into the limelight. Featuring Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt in lead roles and directed by Zoya Akhtar, the movie received widespread acclaim for its portrayal of the struggles and triumphs of street rappers.
However, Naezy recently expressed his disappointment with the way the film distorted reality and took creative liberties with his story.
In a recent interview, Naezy opened up about his mixed feelings toward the film. He described Gully Boy as “pure fiction,” explaining that many of the events depicted in the movie were fabricated. For example, the film’s portrayal of a rapper meeting others in a specific manner was completely fictional, according to him. While he admitted that it was initially frustrating to see the truth altered, he eventually accepted that Bollywood thrives on storytelling and fiction.
Naezy also clarified that some personal details in the film, such as the depiction of his father’s two marriages, were entirely untrue. While he acknowledged that the film’s fictional nature was expected in cinema, he was concerned about audiences assuming these elements reflected his real life. Despite its creative liberties, Gully Boy undeniably amplified the visibility of India’s hip-hop culture, even if it didn’t entirely reflect the real stories of the rappers who inspired it.
