Mumbai, Sep 26 (IANS): Filmmaker Zoya Akhtar has thanked rappers Divine and Naezy for letting her enter their lives to make "Gully Boy".

"When 'Gully Boy' was in its initial stage, none of us were sure of how the film would be received. Most people were not even aware of the rap scene in the country so we just hoped what had moved us would transmit to a bigger crowd," Zoya said.

"I have to thank Naezy and Divine for letting us into their lives and sharing their stories and process. We did our best to represent these talents and their distinctive voice. We are all extremely overwhelmed with the feedback 'Gully Boy' has received. The news of it being the official entry for the Oscars has been very exciting," she added.

Life of rapper Naved Shaikh, popular by his stage name Naezy, along with Divine's (Vivian Fernandes) served as an inspiration for the script of "Gully Boy".

Ranveer Singh's character used rap as a tool to express his views on society and life in Dharavi, one of the largest slums of Asia, in the superhit film that released earlier this year. The film, which will air on &pictures on Saturday, is India's official entry for the 92nd Academy Awards. It also stars Alia Bhatt.