Cinema has always been a refuge for dreamers, and Superboys of Malegaon brings that sentiment to life in the sweetest way. Directed by Reema Kagti (Talaash) and written by Varun Grover (Three of Us), the film tells the real-life story of a group of young men in Malegaon—a small town in Maharashtra, India—who, despite their limited resources, make their own unique, low-budget films for their community to enjoy. What they lack in funding, they make up for in passion, proving that storytelling transcends budgets and barriers. What could be more universal?
Inspired by the acclaimed 2012 documentary Supermen of Malegaon, Kagti’s adaptation retains the heart of the original while expanding its cinematic scope. The film stars Adarsh Gourav as Nasir Shaikh, the leader of this filmmaking troupe, which includes actor Vineet Kumar Singh as Farogh, Shashank Arora as Shafique and Muskkaan Jaferi as Shabeena.
It’s set in 1997 and follows Shaikh and his friends as they craft hilarious parodies of Bollywood blockbusters and global classics. When their campy film Malegaon Ki Sholay (inspired by the iconic 1975 film Sholay) becomes a surprise hit in their town, Nasir’s ambitions soar—as does his ego.
The film was produced by Bollywood heavyweight Zoya Akhtar and her company Tiger Baby, which she owns and runs with Kagti. After seeing the documentary, and then bumping into the real-life Shaikh at a film festival, Akhter “realized that there’s way more to this guy than what was captured, and that’s where it all started.”
For Shaikh, the entire production and press run have been a whirlwind. Now and in real life, the filmmaker is no longer an amateur, but very much in awe of the Bollywood machine. While chatting at the Toronto International Film Festival, he shared with a smile, in Hindi, “This feels like a dream to me. This film was made about my life, about my friends. It is a very beautiful film, I am very happy. This film is a turning point in my life and for Malegaon. It is not just about me, it is about the city. I made films for fun and today the whole world is watching this.”
Gourav, best known for 2023’s Guns and Gulaabs and Kho Gaye Hum Kahan, and 2021’s The White Tiger, takes on the role of Shaikh in the film and, fortunately, had the real Shaikh on-set for inspiration. And a whole lot of noodling.
“I think he’s sick of me. It makes sense, he’s been avoiding me,” joked Gourav. “I’m so fortunate that we have Nasir, and I was just shadowing him around Malegaon. He took me to all these places where they would sit and come up with the ideas that they would ultimately execute. It was so incredible to be meeting all his friends and people from his past, and to be hearing these stories from 30 years ago.”
The pair even made a short film together—on a small budget, naturally. For Gourav, it was also a special joy to work with Kagti, whose work he grew up watching. Like Shaikh in so many ways, the actor shared, “I’m a massive fan, I’m very lucky.”
For both Kagti and Akhtar, the film had a special relevance. Akhter said, “Reema has told [the story] from Nasar’s point of view, so it’s a director’s point of view. So you completely relate to it as a filmmaker, because when you’re a director, if you want to get something made, you are a hustler. I see Nasar as a bit of a hustler. I related to it 100 per cent.”
When it came to developing the film, the filmmakers were keen not only to spend time with Shaikh and get as much background information as they could from him, but to get to know his small town. Grover, in particular, spent quite a lot of time in Malegaon, with Shaikh, his family, other real-life members of the cast, and even folks who used to run old-school “video parlours” in the 1980s and 1990s. Many of these people were even cast as background actors in the film.
“What has not changed is how much people are still obsessed with cinema in that town,” said Grover. “There’s a great economy there for cinema, even [despite streaming], there are still some video parlours running. That’s why it was so important to not only get into the skin of the characters, but to get a sense of the society and of the socio-economic status of the town. We wanted it to be not just a biopic of one person or this group of friends, but also, in a way, a portrait of the city that made this industry happen.”
The city, in return, has been overjoyed since the film came out there months ago, and now, with its Canadian and American release. As Grover shared, they’ve been letting the filmmakers know, “‘thank you for making Malegaon famous, thank you for showing our city.’”
“There are layers to this film, it goes beyond filmmaking,” said Kagti. “It’s about a community.”
And magic, which is something the entire team mentioned time and again. Grover said, “Initially, filmmaking in the late 19th century was mostly magic shows, done through a zoetrope and other scientific instruments. So it evolved from magic, and everyone loves knowing the secret behind a magic trick. That’s why I love seeing films about filmmaking. It’s a lovely meta thing.”
Putting it simply, Shashank Arora, who plays the late Shafique, Shaik’s best friend and lead actor, added, “Telling stories is about survival. We love telling stories and we love hearing them; that’s intrinsic to everybody, especially artists.”
“There are layers to this film, it goes beyond filmmaking. It’s about a community.”
Despite having been in the industry for decades—and even longer, via her cinematic family—Akhtar said there’s something that stands out about Superboys of Malegaon above the rest.
“We are a bit like the circus,” she said. “Some are old hands, some are new, and it’s this little ball of energy, like a family. However dysfunctional. But there’s something very personal here. It’s about dreamers, which we all are. Everybody wants to accomplish a dream, very few people go out and do it. That’s what this is all about.”
‘Superboys of Malegaon’ is playing now in select theatres.
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