THE TIMES OF INDIA (September 22, 2019)
Kolkata: Zoya Akhtar’s ‘Gully Boy’, featuring Ranveer Singh as an aspiring rapper, has been selected as India’s official entry in the International Feature Film category at the Oscars this year, the Film Federation of India (FFI) announced on Saturday.
Director Aparna Sen, who chaired the jury, made the announcement in Kolkata in presence of other members, who were chosen by the FFI.
“The process was democratic. We took a long time and discussed the films threadbare. Each person was asked to write down three films in order of preference. After that we took a vote; we discussed the films and then we arrived at one film finally, and that is ‘Gully Boy’. The energy of the film was infectious. It will speak to the audience,” Sen said.
Initially, 28 films were in contest. One Gujarati movie, ‘Chaal Jeevi Laiye!’, was disqualified, hence, the number came down to 27. The screenings started in Kolkata. “The selection of the Ranveer Singh-Alia Bhatt-starrer is a very good choice. We are thankful to jury members for having done the job meticulously,” said FFI president Firdausul Hasan.
Gully Boy, produced by Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar, features an up-and-coming rapper who sets out to achieve his dream by rhyming about his life on the Mumbai streets.
“Gully Boy has been selected as India’s official entry to the 92nd Oscar Awards. #apnatimeaayega. Thank you to the film federation and congratulations #Zoya @kagtireema @ritesh_sid @RanveerOfficial @aliaa08 @SiddhantChturvD @kalkikanmani & cast, crew and hip hop crew,” he wrote.
Gully Boy on world stage, named India’s official entry to the Oscars
