‘Laalchi music labels want to extract everything out of an artist’
Gully Boy is one of the most well-reviewed Bollywood films of all time. Based on the life of reallife rappers Divine and Naezy, it starred Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt in the lead roles, and was praised for bringing hip-hop music back into focus.
To make a film popular, filmmakers sometimes add tried and trusted masala to it, which sometimes draws away from the essence of the story. Naezy (Naved Shaikh) feels that Gully Boy had escaped this fate.
“This time, what Zoya (Akhtar, director) did, it was not too much like any other Bollywood (film), it was Indie in a way. She had a good balance, and did not let it happen. One tends to Bollywood-ise everything, but she had the control. We were also continuously telling her, pushing her to our side, that she has to do something. It was a good mix of commercial, indie, but was close to reality. Even in terms of music, she had a good balance,” he says.
The film has been nominated as India’s official entry to the Oscars. Ecstatic about it the rapper says, “I’m excited. I wish the best to the team. I am proud that our hard work is paying off. I never expected Gully Boy to reach this far!”
The film has given a boost to hip hop music as a music genre in India. Ask the 26-year old whether the music labels have finally realised the potential of the genre, and he quips that all they want to do is aggressively dabble with a genre which finds some success.
“I think labels are all laalchi. Whatever they see is happening, they run behind those. Even before Gully Boy, I was in conversation with labels. More and more labels are running behind artists to earn money, and extract (the creative) juice of every artist. I’m aware about my decision, and I don’t run behind money, or sign a deal because of the amount offered,” he says.
Even before Gully Boy, I was in conversation with labels. They are running behind artists to earn money, and extract (the creative) juice of every artist.
NAEZY RAPPER