Zoya Akhtar’s Gully Boy has been selected as India’s official entry to the 92nd Academy Awards in the Best International Feature Film category. The film, starring Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhaat, tells the story of an aspiring rapper from Dharavi, Mumbai. Gully Boy’s selection was confirmed by a credible source.
A list of 28 films competed to become India’s official entry to the Oscars. Contenders included Uri: The Surgical Strike, Article 15, Badhaai Ho, Andhadhun, Super Deluxe, and Vada Chennai.
Veteran actor-director Aparna Sen served as the chairperson of the selection committee. The jury also included directors Pratim D Gupta and Ashoke Viswanathan, editor Sujay Dutta Ray, scriptwriter Padmanabha Dasgupta, composer Debojyoti Mishra, and Kannada writer-filmmaker Nagathihalli Chandrashekhar.
Gully Boy is loosely inspired by the lives of Indian rappers Divine and Naezy. The film had its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival. It was released to critical and commercial success in India on February 14, 2019.