The Other India

  The Gully Boys: Naved Shaikh or Naezy is the torchbearer of Indian rap from Mumbai. He was born and bought up in a Ram Bachan Chawl in Mumbai. Coming from a lower middle class family and living in impoverished living conditions, Naved’s rise to success was through his unique music - rapping. Naezy got interested in hip-hop when he heard Sean Paul's 'Temperature' playing at a wedding in his society. His music concentrated on the struggles faced by himself and others. He made his Bollywood debut in the movie “Hey Bro” with the song ‘Birju’ that starred superstars like Hrithik Roshan, Akshay Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan, and many more. His inspirations were Seal Paul, Lil Wayne etc. His single debut was done through “Aafat” in 2014 and the video garnered many views making it viral.  “I come from an orthodox Muslim family and I grew up in Kurla, a Mumbai neighbourhood known for all things bad. Growing up, no one wanted me to pursue rap as a career. There were a lot of problems, lo...

V. Unbeatable is a dance crew based in Mumbai, India. The team was formed in 2012 by Vikas Gupta and Om prakash. They called it ‘Simply Unbeatable’. The acrobats team from Mumbai slums changed its name to V. Unbeatable for a reason. In 2014, Vikas Gupta got injured while performing a stunt during rehearsal. He was paralyzed neck down and passed away a couple of weeks later. It is in his honor that the team changed their name. The team also wear Vikas’s name on the backs of their T-shirt during performances. Vikas’s death highlights just how dangerous the group’s performances are, as they fly through the air without nets or mats under them. The dancers came from the slums and underprivileged backgrounds in Mumbai. V Unbeatable is comprised of dancers between the ages of 12 and 28. They live in poor living conditions with many people staying in a house and face lack of electricity, drinking water, clean space etc. Despite it all, their love and passion for dancing kept them moving. The...