Gully Boy box office collection: Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt's rap drama mints Rs 18.70 on opening day

Zoya Akhtar’s highly anticipated film _Gully Boy_  has earned Rs 18.70 crore on the first day, making it the highest opening film for Alia Bhatt and second highest opener for Ranveer Singh after last year’s smash hit Simmba. [caption id=“attachment_6076551” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] A still from Gully Boy trailer. YouTube screengrab[/caption] The movie, which also features Kalki Koechlin, Vijay Raaz and Siddhant Chaturvedi apart from Ranveer and Alia, revolves around Murad who rises from the slums of Mumbai to become a rapper. It also sheds light into India’s underground hiphop culture.

#GullyBoy takes a massive start... #ValentineDay - not an official holiday - has given a big boost... Metros are rocking, contribute to superb total... Thu ₹ 18.70 cr [3350 screens]. India biz.

— taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) February 15, 2019

According to trade analysts, the film’s release on Valentine’s Day has given a major boost to its collections, especially in metros. The film, inspired by the lives of Mumbai-based rappers Naezy and Divine, received unanimous praise from critics and moviegoers upon release. As per an earlier report , Gully Boy garnered rave reviews at the 2019 Berlin International Film Festival, where it had its world premiere on 9 February. Cameron Bailey, artistic director at the Toronto International Film Festival, even tweeted that he heard the “loudest cheers in 20 years” for the Zoya Akhtar directorial. The film's music  has also earned applause for its stirring lyrics. Gully Boy has been produced by Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar’s Excel Entertainment.