Ranveer Singh eager to become a thought leader, says ‘I would like to be the leader and a champion of the industry’

The Gully Boy star, Ranveer Singh is thrilled that Hindustani rap/hip-hop has become the language of the youth; says it’s the biggest thing happening in Indian culture today.

For ages, Bollywood films as well as its stars have triggered many societal trends – fashion and otherwise. Look closely and you will find that ever since Ranveer Singh-starrer Gully Boy hit the bull’s eye at the box office, the rap/hip-hop music space – that was largely niche till then – has become mainstream, thanks to its new-found popularity with the masses.

Ranveer Singh poses as he watches play during the 2019 Cricket World Cup group stage match between India and Pakistan at Old Trafford in Manchester on June 16, 2019. (AFP)

Not just through his hit film, Ranveer followed up the movie’s success with his passion project, an independent record label, IncInk through which he is discovering, nurturing and promoting young artists from across the country. Through his label, the actor also aims to help popularise the rap and hip-hop culture in India. In fact, his first three talents are hip hop artists such as Kaam Bhari, Slow Cheetah and Spitfire.

The Padmaavat actor is extremely kicked about the “rap revolution” in India. He says: “The time of Hindustani rap/hip hop has come and this is the much-needed explosion in the music scene of India. These are exciting times for original music in India and rap/hip-hop is a huge refresher. Hindustani Rap/hip hop is no longer an underground music scene, as it has become the language of the youth and it is the biggest thing happening in Indian culture today.”

Calling hip-hop artists “the poets of our generation”, Ranveer says the youth today is “listening to what they have to say.” He adds, “India has always produced spectacular original content and now is the time for rap/hip hop and the incredible artists whose poetry is speaking of a revolution. Hindustani Rap/hip hop is here to stay and it is the voice of India that you can’t just ignore.”

Rapping is in vogue

It’s interesting to note that ever since Zoya Akhtar-directed film hit the theatres, rap/hip-hop has become popular in the ad world, other films as well the recently-concluded general elections. During the Lok Sabha elections earlier this year, several parties used rap songs during campaigning. Also, a slew of brands – at least four-five of them – have used hip-hop/rap to drive home their product’s perspectives.

That’s not all. Recent films such as Article 15 and Khandaani Shafakhana also used the rap genre to reach the audiences. Plus, a youth-based TV channel has just launched a talent hunt show to discover talented rappers from across India. Of late, a legion of content creators has also uploaded their rap/hip-hop songs on portals such as YouTube, Facebook and Tik Tok to put forth their talent.

Ranveer, on his part, says that he would love to be a “thought leader” of the country as well as the film industry. “I love films as well as our industry, and I would like to be the leader and a champion of the industry. I want Hindi cinema and the Hindi movie business to keep growing and becoming bigger and bigger. So, if there is anything that I can contribute to this industry, to the Hindi cinema to become bigger and better, it is a very rewarding for me,” he says.

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