Mumbai, June 26 2024-
Rapper and hip-hop musician Naezy, whose real name is Naved Shaikh, revealed why the 2019 movie “Gully Boy,” starring Ranveer Singh, Siddhant Chaturvedi, and Alia Bhatt, did “worse” to him than good.
Directed by Zoya Akhtar, the coming-of-age story, which is inspired by the lives of Indian street rappers Divine and Naezy, is about aspiring street rapper Murad from the slums of Mumbai.
“Zoya Ma’am heard my first song ‘Aafat’ and discovered me through that. She loved the song and the genre. The film was a work of fiction and was based on the entire community,” shared the rapper, who is currently seen as a contestant in ‘Bigg Boss OTT 3’.
Speaking about the impact of Gully Boy on his life, he shared: “I became famous through the film. Though my debut song was a hit, this film got me recognition amongst mainstream audiences.”
He reveals the reason why the film did not do good for him.
“However, the film did worse to me than good. Despite the makers clarifying that it is a work of fiction, a large section of the viewers continued to think of it as my story. People started seeing me in a negative light, comparing my journey to the character of the film,” said Naezy.
Sharing about his bond with Ranveer, he shares: “We became very close during the filming. He met my family and friends, and we took pictures together. He even made me meet Deepika ma’am. She told me that he used to talk a lot about me.”
About his presence in Bollywood, he said: “People know me in the industry. I have also met Amit (Amitabh Bachchan) Ji. He once had to lip-sync on my rap, during which he appreciated my work.”
‘Bigg Boss OTT 3’ is streaming on JioCinema Premium. (Agency)
