In 2008, Faiza Ahmad Khan made a documentary, Supermen Of Malegaon, that focused on the making of a parody-style movie by amateur director Nasir Shaikh who found success with his friends in the poor small Indian city of Malegaon, where they used their hometown to copy popular movies, and by doing so gave new life and meaning to the place they were raised.
Now Director Reema Kagti and screenwriter Nasir Shaikh have taken that inspirational true story, opened it up, and turned it into a new narrative theatrical film, Superboys Of Malegaon, that shows how a group of friends cleverly turned a love for movies into a bit of a local sensation. The Amazon MGM Studios film had its world premiere Friday at the Toronto International Film Festival, before a European premiere next month at the BFI London Film Festival. The film then opens in early 2025 in India, and later North America.
The feel-good coming-of-age story is Cinema Paradiso meets The Fabelmans meets Breaking Away and Stand By Me. You simply can’t help but root for these movie-mad friends who stumble on to success in the most unpredictable way. Growing up in a dirt poor town, Nasir (Adarsh Gourav) has always loved Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin, even featuring their films in a local theatre/video parlor but not drawing much of a crowd, the locals preferring the by-the-numbers popular Bollywood films of the moment. After running into trouble with authorities for pirating the best parts of big movies, splicing them together and drawing a crowd that way, Nasir is given orders to change his business model or be shut down. He comes upon the idea that he and his friends can do just as well by parodying the big hits but staging their version in Malegaon. He enlists his pal and aspiring writer Farogh (Vineet Kumar Singh) to write the script, and other pals to act and help make the movie. It fills the theatre, and as in any movie success story, inspires sequel after sequel.
However it isn’t all that bright as Farogh and Nasir have disagreements with Farogh, frustrated by this formula copycat filmmaking and wanting to do something more meaningful, breaking apart and moving to Mumbai to make his name as a major writer. There he finds it is not easy to play in the big leagues, and after waiting two and a half months to meet with a producer, is basically told his ideas are not commercial enough. His venture to the big city becomes a bust, even as Nasir continues becoming something of a local wonder boy when tragedy hits his circle and one of their best friends, Shafique, is diagnosed with cancer. Before it is too late, Nasir comes up with a plan and creates one more movie in which Shafique is cast in the lead role of his hero, Superman. He convinces Farogh to return to write it and all their friends to be involved in making it all for the love of Shafique.
With some outstanding cinematography by Swapnil S. Sonawane, Superboys Of Malegaon is all that more engaging as these characters are based on real people and real films that were made, particularly Superman. Like the aforementioned movies it resembles, it has genuine heart in showing this ragtag group of fledgling filmmakers and the friendship they formed to make some unachievable Bollywood dreams actually come true. Each actor has a distinct personality with Gourav leading the way as the determined Nasir, Singh excellent as frustrated writer Farogh, and the wonderfully expressive Arora as Shafique. But the entire cast, right down to the smallest parts, adds immensely to the feeling of a special time and place in this corner of the world that will always stay in the memory of those who lived it, and now in the memory of those who see it. All in the Hindi language with subtitles, this is that kind of special film that could well cross boundaries and succeed around the globe with its universal message of friendship and undeniable love of movies.
Producers are Kagti, Ritesh Sidhwani, Farhan Akhtar and Zoya Akhtar.
Title: Superboys Of Malegaon
Festival: Toronto
Distributor: Amazon MGM Studios
Director: Reema Kagti
Screenplay: Varun Grover
Cast: Adarsh Gourav. Shashank Arora, Vineet Kumar Singh, Anuj SIngh Duhan, Jagdish Rajurohit, Muskaan Jaferi, Saqib Ayub, Pallav Singgh, Riddhi Kumar, Manjiri Pupala.
Running Time: 2 hours and 7 minutes