Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh takes a turn as an angst-ridden musician in the trailer of ‘Gully Boy’ that released on Wednesday afternoon.

Directed by Zoya Akhtar, ‘Gully Boy’ — based on the life of Mumbai-based underground rappers Divine (real name Vivian Fernandes) and Naezy (real name Naved Shaikh) — is a stark departure for Singh, who was last seen as a flamboyant police officer last month in his blockbuster ‘Simmba’.

In ‘Gully Boy’, Singh is subdued and simmering with rage and frustration as he tries to channel the artist within him. His abusive household and his tough everyday existence as a driver are stumbling blocks.

“His words will set him free” — the slogan emblazoned on the trailer — gives us a peek into Singh’s fractured life. The trailer is suitably grim, grungy and ghetto.

Actress Ali Bhatt, who plays a feisty young Muslim woman in a conservative household, also gets maximum play in the trailer. As always, Singh and Bhatt are in the groove here as young people in the throes of a quarter-life crisis.

‘Gully Boy’ is director Akhtar’s first film after a gap of four years. Her last attempt was the snazzy family drama ‘Dil Dhadakne Do’.

When it comes to emotionally-charged films, nobody does it better than Akhtar. ‘Gully Boy’ holds the promise of a strong emotional pay-off.

‘Gully Boy’ will release in the UAE on February 13. It will have its world premiere at the 69th Berlin International Film Festival.