Gully Boy Goes To The Oscars, But Is It The Best Choice To Represent India?

Gully Boy may have been chosen to represent India at the Oscars because it caters to Hollywood sensibilities, but not everyone is happy that better movies, both from Bollywood and regional cinema, were overlooked.

Have you watched Gully Boy? Did you like it?

I enjoyed the movie immensely. From its fabulous music to some beautifully framed scenes, the movie has a lot to offer. It certainly deserved to be in the list of movies being considered for submission for India’s entry to the Oscars.

Advantages for @RanveerOfficial – @aliaa08 's #GullyBoy in the #Oscars2020 race..

– Premiered at #Berlin Film Festival..

– Already reviewed in #Variety , #THR etc

– Highest grossing Indian movie in #USA in 2019

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– US rapper #Nas is Exec Producer

— Ramesh Bala (@rameshlaus) September 22, 2019

Not to mention that it has been helmed by a female director, and features lead characters who are disadvantaged from a socio-economic perspective and from a religious minority. It drew attention to India’s thriving rap scene, and touched upon important social issues.

Gully boy might be a populist entry to the oscars but its probably the closest portrayal of the current urban class dynamics.

And the music literally opened up doors for so much unexplored, undervalued talent. Not to mention the beautiful framing of certain scenes pic.twitter.com/U3W5QcowFm

— mediocre gandhi (@mediocregandhi) September 23, 2019

And yet, I, among many others, was disappointed that it was chosen to represent India at the Oscars.

#DNAPoll: Are you happy that Gully Boy has been chosen as India’s entry into the Oscars? #GullyBoyForOscars

— DNA (@dna) September 22, 2019

What are the objections to Gully Boy?

For some the issue is their own bigotry and jingosim – they are upset that a movie with Muslim characters has been chosen. Nationalists would rather that a movie like Uri be chosen. Some have resorted to conspiracy theories about how the The Tashkent Files was pushed out of the running.

Others have more valid and logical objections.

As many have pointed out, Gully Boy, based on the lives of Mumbai rappers Naezy and Divine, is “inspired” by the movie 8 Mile, which in turn is based on the life of rapper Eminem. It lacks originality and will showcase India’s “copycat culture” instead of bringing home a victory.

So why has this been sent to Oscars? They would have watched 8 mile for sure! Someone, pls explain https://t.co/mLAUiO6zBb

— Dhanya Rajendran (@dhanyarajendran) September 23, 2019

It has also been pointed out that Gully Boy, like Slumdog Millionaire, panders to Western ideas about India as a third world country.

Gully Boy checks the boxes. It is about slum kids, a sequel to Slumdog Millionaire, comfortingly woke to the Oscar jury as well as suitably aligned with their stereotypes of what India is. It is about rap music, something familiar and comforting and essentially American.

— Arnab Ray (@greatbong) September 23, 2019

Gully Boy being selected for Oscar nominations is just another example as to how much the West loves to buy into the idea of a poor Indian underdog rises to the top against all odds. That's the only trope they want to believe in.

— songSTRESS (@ketchupamrita) September 21, 2019

As one American viewer pointed out, the Oscar voters don’t particularly care to learn about other cultures.

As much as I liked SONCHIRIYA, I don’t know if most Oscar voters know anything about the Emergency, nor do they care to learn. There’s something to be said for a straightforward story crossing cultures. https://t.co/9xh1HmfzJ2

— Matt Bowes (@matt_bowes) September 21, 2019

This may be a reason to send the movie to the Oscars, but one wonders if bowing to Holywood sensibilities is how we really want to represent ourselves.

Many other Bollywood movies, like Article 15 (which is socially relevant), Badhaai Ho (which is very Indian in its sensibilities, while dealing with a pertinent cultural issue), or Raazi, (which is patriotic without resorting to jingoism), Andhadhun (entertaining without pandering to the Western ideas about India) would all have been better choices.

Gully Boy is a rip-off of so many Hollywood movies. It was strictly okay. The other films in the race
Kesari: NO. Not Oscar worthy
Badla: NO. Another rip-off
Andhadhun: NO. Movies like this are made by the dozen in Hollywood
Article 15: YES
Raazi – Should have been in the race.

— Tina Sequeira (@tinajsequeira) September 22, 2019

What about regional Indian cinema?

For others, it was just another example of Bollywood/Hindi language movies overshadowing great work in regional languages. Given the debate around “one nation, one language,” this is an especially pertinent observation. Dhanya Rajendran, in her insightful post that questions why south Indian movies are often overlooked, points out that, of the 52 entries sent by India to the Oscars so far, only 20 are in languages other than Hindi.

Movies like Anandi Gopal (Marathi), Tumbbad (bilingual; internationally acclaimed), Kumbalangi Nights (Malayalam), Virus (Malayalam), Peranbu (Malayalam), Super Deluxe (Tamil), Vada Chennai (Tamil), Dear Comrade (Telugu) etc were all picks that are much better not only in terms of quality, but also in terms of how “Indian” they are while being universally appealing.

Unfortunately, regional cinema has few takers even within India.  For the Oscars jury all Indian languages are equally foreign, so it doesn’t really matter to them.

The problem is and always has been that movies in languages other than Hindi have never got the reach they deserve. We all watch Bollywood movies, but not all watch regional movies of languages other than their own mother tongue. When Malayalis also watch Gujarati movies or when Maharashtrians also watch an Assamese film is when things will change.

Streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime have made regional movies more accessible to the masses, and the hope is that once Indian viewers start paying attention to regional movies, jury members and the international audiences will too.

Practical limitations choice of a movie

As of now however, the choice is not necessarily about which film is the “best” film. It boils down to few practicalities, such as who can afford to promote their film internationally, or as film critics Baradwaj Rangan and Aniruddha Guha point out, if the film checks some boxes or not.

I liked #GullyBoy, but felt the complex universe that birthed DIVINE/Naezy was streamlined into an ultra-simple template.

But it's a solid choice. Oscar submissions aren't about THE BEST film but about a well-made film that checks some important boxes. https://t.co/eXTESgQF24

— Baradwaj Rangan (@baradwajrangan) September 21, 2019

GULLY BOY may not be the best film among the 28 movies shortlisted to be sent to the Oscars, but it’s a smart choice in terms of bolstering India’s chances. Crowd-pleasing, well-acted underdog story that won’t intimidate Academy audiences.

Also, I dare say, slums.

— Aniruddha Guha (@AniGuha) September 21, 2019

Like those who have taken the opportunity to make some tongue-in-cheek remarks about the choice, sitting back and having a laugh seems to be a good option.

I don't know on what idiotic basis did they decide that they should send a movie like Gully Boy to the Oscars when Bollywood churned out so many other better films transcending genres like Bharat and Student of the Year 2.

— Akshar (@AksharPathak) September 21, 2019

Let’s hope Gully Boy brings home the Oscar, and if it doesn’t we only have ourselves to blame.

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