Superboys of Malegaon review: You laugh, you cry, you think; Reema Kagti gives an unmissable ode to cinema | Bollywood-OxBig News Network

Cast: Adarsh Gourav, Shashank Arora, Vineet Kumar Singh, Anuj Singh Duhan

Director: Reema Kagti

Rating: ★★★★

In a particularly riveting scene in Superboys of Malegaon, two characters- the director and writer- fight over who made their film a hit. In a moment of rage, the writer screams, ‘Writer baap hota hai!’- and it feels like the fourth wall has broken, and the one being addressed is our film industry. (Also read: Reema Kagti got her ADs to make keema samosas at night on Superboys of Malegaon set when they got food wrong for a shot)

Directed by Reema Kagti, this piece of work reminds us of what made us fall in love with films in the first place. It’s a declaration to our industry, which is struggling to find what makes theatre viewing tick with audiences.

What is Superboys of Malegaon about

Based on a real-life story, it revolves around Nasir (Adarsh Gourav), who is screening English classics like Charlie Chaplin in 1994, when the sleepy town of Malegaon is only interested in Hindi masala films. After his movie parlour is demolished by the police for pirating films, he decides he will make a film. Malegaon ka Sholay. Assisting him are his friends- Shafique (Shashank Arora), Farogh (Vineet Singh), and Akram (Anuj Singh Duhan). Are they successful? What happens next? Watch it for the rest of the story.

A film about a film should be declared a genre unto itself now—and the Akhtars are as credible a source as they come. Zoya Akhtar’s directorial debut, Luck By Chance, was a peek into how Bollywood works. This one, inspired by the 2008 documentary Supermen of Malegaon, is produced by them. What’s incredible is that these are real-life characters from a real story, and we get to see them as the film ends.

What works

Peppered with light-hearted, poignant, and thought-provoking moments throughout, Superboys of Malegaon is a delightful ride—a rare one without any boring moments. Full props to writer Varun Grover for it.

The screenplay is linear—after 1994, we jump forward to 2004 and then 2010, and each frame feels justified. Reema and Varun have crammed a lot into the script—from writers having to rough it out in Mumbai to even be heard to a commentary on how money and success overpower passion, which explains why the industry is suffering. Superboys of Malegaon is thus extremely relevant.

Which brings us to the performances. Adarsh Gourav and Shashank Arora have hit it out of the park. Between the former’s passion and the latter’s innocence, they don’t miss a beat. All Shashank’s Shafique wants to do is fly on an aeroplane- and fly he does. It’s captured beautifully by Swapnil S. Sonawane. The rousing finale will leave you in tears; do keep a tissue handy.

Javed Akhtar’s influence on this film can be felt heavily. Salim-Javed, the duo that rocked the film industry as superstars in the 1970s and early 1980s, demanded to be taken seriously, akin to the outburst Vineet Singh’s character has when a film producer criticises his story in this film. Vineet, with his recent film Chhaava doing so well, is having a delightful run at the movies. I’m happy to see him finally having his moment under the sun. The entire cast deserves an applause.

To sum it up

Superboys of Malegaon is an unmissable ode to films. And a reminder- the audiences crave entertainment. While makers ponder about making franchises, sequels, or similar films just because one worked- movie lovers will go in for even brainrot, provided they have a good time. One is reminded of Himesh Reshammiya’s recent Badass Ravikumar.