'Gully Boy' director Zoya Akhtar moved after Bengaluru boy, inspired by film, launches app Apna to upskill grey-collar workers
Ranveer Singh in Gully Boy
With Gully Boy (2019) showing how a Dharavi boy can rise above his hardships to become a rap star, the Zoya Akhtar film spoke to the hustler within us, urging us to chase our dreams. Little did the filmmaker know that the message of the Ranveer Singh-starrer will stay with Bengaluru-based entrepreneur Nirmit Parikh, prompting him to launch an app that will solve network issue gaps for blue- and grey-collar workers. While Parikh had launched Apna — inspired by the movie’s song, Apna time aayega — in December 2019, the start-up soared in the past few months, reportedly raising USD 70 million in a new financing round. Amid the pandemic, the app has helped workers across cities in India upskill themselves, find communities and land jobs.
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Akhtar is moved that her underdog story inspired the Apple alum to create a platform to ensure opportunities for everyone. “Each artiste wants their work to touch the audience in a positive way.
Zoya Akhtar. Pic/Nimesh Dave
Gully Boy happened because I was inspired by young artistes who spoke their truth. When I read about Apna and Nirmit Parikh, I was overwhelmed — firstly, because what he has done is extraordinary. Secondly, with him, the chain continues. He will now inspire someone else; he has already inspired me to do more,” says the director.
During the app’s launch, Parikh had tweeted how Gully Boy was the story of “the working class who have big ambitions but fewer means.” Through his endeavour, he has encouraged more than 70 communities, including carpenters, painters and sales agents. Producer Ritesh Sidhwani adds, “When we see what Nirmit has taken away from Gully Boy, [it gives renewed meaning to] our endeavour.”
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