Keeping aside the debate around his upcoming film Padmaavat, Ranveer Singh has got himself in the readiness for producer Zoya Akhtar’s Gully Boy, which is motivated by the lives of Mumbai road rappers Divine and Naezy. The prep requires different music sittings between the actors and the two rappers, and in the event that one asks Divine, the performer is as of now inspired with Ranveer’s endeavors to get into the skin of his character. On the sidelines of the multi-classification music celebration, TimeOut 72, Divine conversed about Gully Boy, teaming up with Ranveer and Zoya, and the rising parallel development in Indian hip-hop. It was one of his live exhibitions in Mumbai around two years prior that not just denoted the start of a fellowship amongst him and Zoya, yet in addition sowed the seed for Gully Boy.
“Zoya has been my friend from past one-and-a-half years. We became friends after she heard my music. She attended my show some two years ago. There we met and since then we have been friends,” said Divine, before adding that even though he and the director had been discussing Gully Boy for long, the film is not based on him but “is about the hip-hop scene, in general, that’s happening in the city.” Discussing firmly working with Ranveer, Divine said other than the diligent work that he has been putting for the film, the way that the actor is an enormous devotee of rap settles on him the ideal decision for Gully Boy.
“I have sat in the studio with Ranveer. He is a really good guy and the right person to do the movie. I am really lucky and honored to be witnessing this. I had just sparked the whole scene (hip-hop) and now it has become so big. Ranveer is working really hard for the movie. He has heard all my songs. He is a hip-hop fan. So, he is the best guy to do the film. He will make the best rapper on screen. No one else can do it.”
“What they were showing you on TV for the longest time wasn’t hip-hop. I never considered it hip-hop. When I entered it, first I read the whole history of the genre, its origin, listened to various albums and that’s how I could do what I do right now. Like I talk about my city and other things because hip-hop has always been about spreading message, to convey something, to go out there and get people together. It was there to unite people. But later it became commercial. It then got songs, which spoke about alcohol and other similar stuff. And I don’t think it is a bad part of hip-hop. It’s how the people take it. Because people want to listen to it, hence these songs are made. If public stops listening to it, such music will not be produced,” said Divine.
“I don’t want to shoot on my phone anymore. Now, I want to shoot videos properly. Also, I think I will come up with a new album in 2018. I will make better videos. Enough of shooting videos on phone in gullys. Of course, I will shoot videos in gullys but I want to do it properly so that things get more interesting,” said Divine.
