Mumbai’s Vile Parle Cypher is giving unheard rappers a voice

A new documentary streaming on YouTube sheds light on the Vile Parle Cypher, a grassroots hip-hop collective giving a platform to unheard street artists and gig workers across Mumbai. Titled Unreleased, the film is directed by Mumbai-based filmmaker Imran Shamsi and explores how an informal weekly gathering at Dubhashi Ground has transformed into a vital space for freestyle rap, self-expression, and community identity.

Founded by local rapper Kuldeep Jaswant Singh Chandaliya, who performs under the stage name Deep or Psy, the Vile Parle Cypher offers an inclusive stage for performers regardless of their background. Participants include delivery drivers, milkmen, daily-wage laborers, and rickshaw drivers, with some traveling from as far as Assam and Nepal to join the Saturday evening sessions. Since its inception, the collective has organized around 70 cyphers, capturing performances on smartphones and sharing them through the Instagram account @vileparlescene.

Chandaliya established the movement after experiencing exclusion at other rap gatherings around the city. He explained that mainstream cyphers rarely prioritized working-class artists or shared their recorded videos. By creating a dedicated space, he aimed to give marginalized voices a platform to express their personal struggles, political views, and daily realities through music.

Shamsi, who is also the founder of the cultural media platform STRT91, initially intended to film a short social media video about the local scene. However, after spending eight hours documenting the artists, he decided to expand the project into a full feature documentary. Shamsi noted that unlike traditional mainstream rap that often focuses on material wealth, the Vile Parle performers highlight vulnerability, financial hardships, family life, and systemic politics.

The documentary also emphasizes how the artists use postal pin codes rather than caste, religion, or profession to establish their identity within the Indian hip-hop community. Representing their specific neighborhood pin codes allows the rappers to claim ownership of their origins while sharing both the joys and challenges of their local areas.

Unreleased delves into Chandaliya's personal life as well, reflecting his mother's declining health during the production. His mother passed away shortly before the documentary was released in August. Shamsi expressed regret that she was unable to view the final film, which honors her memory and highlights her son's artistic achievements.

Looking ahead, Shamsi and his team at STRT91 plan to host additional public screenings of Unreleased and launch a new series featuring independent rappers from across India based on their lyrical quality. Through the documentary, Shamsi aims to bring national attention to underground hip-hop artists who remain largely unheard by mainstream audiences.

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