A reel take on Indian music

A still from Mumbai Hustle

Don't let Gully Boy fool you. The advent of hip-hop in the slums of Dharavi came about long before the emergence of DIVINE and Naezy. For, crews like Dopeadelicz were spitting out rhymes even before 2010, while DIVINE and Naezy came into prominence only around 2014. And while the Bollywood movie focuses mainly on the latter duo, a slew of independent films made earlier track the rise of these initial crews.

One of these is called Mumbai Hustle, and it will be shown at a screening of three films centred on music, at a Versova venue this weekend. The other two are Heart of Rhythm and Hora. The former traces the connection that an Austrian drummer, Bernhard Schimpelsberger, has with his Indian guru, and talks about the musical overlap that can exist between two divergent cultures. Hora, meanwhile, is about songs of revolution and the use of music to bring about a positive change in the society.

But why screen movies themed on music in the first place? Kunal Jhaveri, founder of Filamnt, which is organising the event, explains, "We have been hosting screenings for a while now, and have realised that while short films are something that attracts people, you need a cohesive line-up to get the audience to the venue," adding, "We also thought that since Gully Boy has been in the news, why not screen Mumbai Hustle as a dedication to the original gully boys?"

On March 23, 8.30 pm
At Harkat Studios, Aram Nagar Part 2, Versova, Andheri West.
Call 7718030009
Cost Rs 250

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