Bollywood movies around poverty; Alia Bhatt's 'Gully Boy', Rajkummar's 'Citylights' & more

The Bollywood film industry produces over 1000 films every year. The films may be completely fictional or inspired by real events. Poverty in India is one such social issue that has been showcased in several Bollywood films. Check out films that highlighted what the poor go through in India. 

Gully Boy

Gully Boy is a coming age drama film about an aspiring street rapper from the Dharavi slums of Mumbai. The film portrays his journey and social problems faced by the protagonist to win over his challenges and fulfill his dream. It stars Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt and features Kalki Koechlin, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Vijay Varma, Amruta Subhash and Vijay Raaz in supporting roles. Alia Bhatt's Gully Boy is directed by Zoya Akhtar. 

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Citylights 

Rajkummar Rao's Citylights is an Indian drama film based on the immigrants that travel to metropolitan cities for a better life. Here, a man named Deepak Singh travels to Mumbai with his wife and daughter to escape a life of poverty and hopelessness. In Mumbai, he has to face several adverse situations as he is unable to find a foothold in the city. The film stars Rajkummar Rao and Patralekha. Citylights is helmed by Hansal Mehta. 

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Manjhi - The Mountain Man

Manjhi - The Mountain Man is a biopic film starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui in the titular role and Radhika Apte in supporting. Directed by Ketan Mehta, it is based on the life of Dashrath Manjhi, a poor labourer in Bihar. He carved a path through a hill in 22 years using a hammer and a chisel. The film is produced by Viacom 18 Motion Pictures and NDFC India. Manjhi - The Mountain Man garnered positive reviews from the critics and the audience alike.

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Swades

Swades was based on the concept of brain drain in India. The story is based on Mohan, is an employee at NASA in the USA and his return to India to seek his childhood caretaker, Kaveri Amma, and take her to America to live with him. However, here, he witnesses the terrible conditions and decides to participate in campaigns for education, electricity, and other social issues. Swades depicts many social problems common in Indian villages. Helmed by Ashutosh Gowariker, Swades stars Shah Rukh Khan, Gayatri Joshi, Makrand Deshpande, etc. 

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