Gully Boy Gets Good Reviews In Berlin: Expected To Amass Rs 85 Crore In First 4 Days, Maybe Even 100!
85-100 cr is the buzz word in trade circles as we speak to them about the hot film Gully Boy, which releases on Thursday
Ranveer Singh-Alia Bhatt starrer is expected to register a humongous collection to the tune of Rs 85-100 cr in its 1st weekend (the film releases on Feb 14, Thursday) if trade talk is anything to go by. The film has garnered immense curiosity, frankly even before its trailer. People said they just can't wait for Ranveer's next after Simmba bowled them over. Ditto for Alia when she rocked in every frame in Raazi. The trailer only made them go more crazy. After all, it's Zoya Akhtar whose films have always been so relatable- Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara or Dil Dhadakne Do are just two classic cases in point.
The expected figures are confirmed by trade as SpotboyE.com spoke to them. Trade expert Amod Mehra says that he expects something around Rs 100 crore, while exhibitor Akshaye Rathi says it should be in the vicinity of Rs 80-85 cr. Another trade expert Komal Nahata says that Gully Boy will clock Rs 75 cr in its first 3 days, hence it is clear that his estimation is approximately to the tune of 90-95 cr in 4 days.
Taran Adarsh, however, refuses to put out a figure but says, "The combination of Ranveer-Alia-Zoya is lethal. Add this to the fact that the rap in the film has caught on with the youth, Apna Time Aayega has almost become the anthem. And never forget, the theme is of an underdog- which is, more often than not, a hit in India."
FYI, The premiere of Gully Boy was held at the Berlin Film Festival last night and the first reactions are turning out to be pretty good:
Anupama Chopra of Film Companion says, "One way to view Gully Boy is simply as a hugely entertaining “underdog with a dream” story, dotted on the margins with a disapproving father, an on/off love interest (Safeena, played by Alia Bhatt), a brand new socio-cultural milieu, and other must-haves of this sub-genre. Ranveer Singh smoulders marvellously. He affects a slang that sounded ghetto enough to my non-Mumbai ears, and it’s terrific to see him demonstrate his more “sophisticated” acting side. We caught glimpses of this underplaying in Zoya’s Dil Dhadakne Do, where he was part of an ensemble, but here, he fills the film from the first frame to the last, and it’s a superb showreel for his range. Alia plays her like a firecracker that won’t tell you when it’s going to go off. The scene where she says yes to a prospective match brings the house down.
But she adds, "Two-and-half hours is way too long for such a predictable story, and the entire episode with Sky (Kalki Koechlin) feels like it could have been axed."
Ranveer Singh
Rajeev Masand also has similar thoughts about Gully Boy when it comes to the length of the film but adds, "It has many layers, it's coming of age, about understanding one's expressions which in this case is through poetry and rap. It's a beautiful love story and at some level, it's a love letter to Mumbai. What powers these different narratives are essentially two things - the extra-ordinary performance from Ranveer Singh and the music and lyrics which has as much feeling as the story and performance."
Hollywood Reporter, one of the first Western Media critic has reviewed Gully Boy and said, "Zoya Akhtar (Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara) directs with flair and passion and, aided by explosive performances from a right-on cast, triumphs over the familiarity of the star-is-born storyline. Her main asset is Ranveer Singh, who broke into Bollywood with the rom com Band Baajat Baaraat and who here shows a pleasingly full emotional range that extends to drama and hip hop. The music is a high quality throughout, as confident and inventive as Jay Oza's camera. Though most of the rappers are young men, it’s worth mentioning that the women characters stand out as strong and individual, from Murad’s furiously humiliated mom to wildcat med student Safeena and free spirit Sky, none of whom are in sexual denial, but none are sex objects for the camera, either."
Clearly, Ranveer Singh-Alia Bhatt's Gully Boy has won hearts in Berlin, but let's wait and watch if it succeeds in seeping in the gullies of India too.
Image Source: Instagram/trendingtopic006
Image Source: Instagram/trendingtopic006
