Reema Kagti and Varun Grover craft a fine ode to Malegaon’s cinema pioneers, with stellar performances by Adarsh Gourav, Shashank Arora, Muskkaan Jaaferi, and Manjiri Pupala.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.5 / 5)
By Mayur Lookhar
Shauq paal ke kya karega, Malegaon mein tu marega. (Why nurture desires? You will die in Malegaon). This sounds like a depressing sentiment, but the irony is that these words are crooned by two men who would go on to make history. Maybe it’s their way of laughing at the naysayers in Malegaon, who have long dismissed any dream.
Malegaon, a city in Maharashtra with a predominantly Muslim population, is better known for its handloom factories. Having never been there, one might hold stereotypical views about its demography and culture. The current socio-political environment has zero tolerance for regressive ideologies, but we often forget that the community at large is the first to suffer for the misdeeds of a few. Sadly, this perception has seeped into Hindi cinema as well, where such lot have rarely been depicted in a positive light. So, when films like Gully Boy (2019) and Superboys of Malegaon (2025) emerge, the first impression is that they might serve as outreach to the community at large.
While Superboys of Malegaon does shed some light on the local culture, it is not a community outreach effort but simply a film that celebrates the region’s cinema. Period. What was that song Javed Akhtar penned? Panchi, nadiyaan, pawan ke jhoke, koi sarhad na inhe roke. Similarly, cinema has no boundaries and never discriminates along the lines of religion, caste or creed.
What makes Superboys of Malegaon special isn’t necessarily their cinema, but it’s the journey, the story of the pioneer cinema artistes from the power loom belt of Maharashtra.
In 2008, a little-known documentary titled Supermen of Malegaon attracted attention purely for the world it represented. Four years later, director Faiza Ahmad Khan’s film received a theatrical release, securing a place in the larger public consciousness. We still haven’t had the fortune of watching it, but we recall positive stories celebrating the people behind this documentary.
Fast forward to 2025, and we have writer Varun Grover and director Reema Kagti telling the Superboys of Malegaon story. Nasir Sheikh, a wedding photographer from Malegaon, also ran a humble local theatre, often showcasing pirated films. Grover and Kagti’s film set the message straight – we love your films, your inspiring stories, but there is no room for piracy. The raiding cops caution Nasir (Adarsh Gourav) and his team never to screen pirated movies. Mumbai and Bollywood are beyond their reach, so why not create their own films and screen them for their people? Nasir dares to dream.
Like all artistes, Nasir is mocked by the naysayers. He loses his lady love, Mallika (Riddhi Kumar), who resigns herself to fate and the suitable groom chosen by her father. How painful it must be to work as a videographer at your former girlfriend’s wedding. Yet, Nasir shrugs off the disappointment and ultimately achieves the impossible. With just 12,000 rupees in hand, making a film seems like wishful thinking. But as Majrooh Sultanpuri said, “Main akela hi chala tha jaanib-e-manzil, magar log saath aate gaye, aur karvan banta gaya.”
Nasir and a few of his cinema-loving fellow Malegaon mates chose the parody route, making Malegaon Ke Sholay (2000) and later Supermen of Malegaon. The making of Malegaon Ke Sholay alone was enough to constitute a feature film. We haven’t seen the documentary, but the Varun Grover and Reema Kagti film goes beyond filmmaking, shedding light on how Nasir & co. continued to face hardships even after the local success of their first film. In fact, they soon fell apart. This phase reveals some uncomfortable truths, but it also paves the way for Nasir, Shafique, Akram, Trupti, Siraj, Raju, Aleem, and others to return.
Forget their parody films—it’s their awe-inspiring journeys that tell us why we make cinema. How cinema has the magic to bring people and a community together. It busts myths and stereotypes. More importantly, it reflects the passion for cinema in Malegaon. Nasir and Farogh are cinema pioneers whose passion eventually led to the birth of a humble Malegaon film industry. Naturally, Grover and Kagti add their element of fiction to make it more appealing.
Reema Kagti and Zoya Akhtar, together they started Tiger Baby production. This is a first Tiger Baby production where neither of them has contributed to the writing. The duo has left that into the able hands of Varun Grover and Shoaib Zulfi Nazeer (Dialogues). Reema Kagti steers Superboys of Malegaon with a keen eye, blending realism and fiction to celebrate Malegaon’s resilient filmmaking spirit.
Of course, none of this would have been possible had Faiza Ahmad Khan not documented Nasir, Farogh, and Shafique’s story in Supermen of Malegaon (2008). One was initially intrigued by the boys in the title. Jeez, but back in 1997, that’s exactly what they were—a bunch of boys from humble backgrounds, with no resources, just a passion for cinema. Not just in Malegaon, but this story would inspire any artist from any part of the world to create opportunities for themselves.
The early narrative focuses on the making of Malegaon Ka Sholay. At that point, one feels the film is likely to conclude with that dream becoming a reality. As stated before, it’s the post-Malegaon Ke Sholay phase where the real story emerges. This is also a period where the humour subsides, and some may feel a sense of disengagement. However, Nasir and his aggrieved mates reunite to tell the Supermen of Malegaon story—bringing back the humour and re-engaging the audience.
The inspiring story is backed by fine writing and an unheralded yet highly competent cast.
Adarsh Gourav began his career playing the younger version of Rizwan Khan—Shah Rukh Khan’s character in My Name is Khan (2010). He shot to fame after earning a BAFTA nomination for Priyanka Chopra’s The White Tiger (2021). This reviewer watched him in Kho Gaye Hum Kahan, where he played Neil Pereira, a gym instructor. That film had its flaws, but Gourav impressed with his effortless transformation into his Christian character.
Gully Boy and Superboys of Malegaon—both Tiger Baby productions—are tales of the ultimate underdog. Kagti wisely avoids imposing a local accent on her actors, allowing Gourav and others to express themselves freely. Nasir’s cinema story is inspiring, but his initial success is followed by a phase where his humility gives way to a bit of cockiness, eventually straining his relationships with his best pals. Not just in cinema, but how often in life do people get carried away by sudden success? That comes later, but oh boy, the best scene in the film is when Nasir doesn’t have the courage to sit and watch his first film, Malegaon Ke Sholay, with the locals. This isn’t a regular screening in an urban theatre but a showcase for his people—where if the film isn’t up to the mark, there’s no place to hide. The poor man steps out and sits in a corner, unsure of their reaction. As the audience steps out one by one, his nervousness slowly turns into joy. Jeez, that moment, that feeling—it’s universal.
He may share SRK’s dimples, but in this era of raw, intense performances, even the superstar would acknowledge Gourav’s exceptional talent. In Superboys of Malegaon, he delivers a career-defining performance.
One has to spare a thought for Vineet Kumar Singh’s Farogh. He’s the one who puts Nasir’s parody film ideas into words. Farogh may not be devout—actually, none of the characters are defined by faith but purely by their passion for cinema—but he holds firm values in his craft. He is passionate about writing the screenplay for his first film but does so with certain moral compromises, hoping that S.N. Films (Sheikh Nasir) will produce an original script penned by him next. He believes the writer is the boss. In an ideal world, that should never be a debate, but in reality, especially in Bollywood, the writer is often the unsung hero.
While Nasir and his team are content creating cinema in Malegaon, Farogh dares to leave home and try his luck in Mumbai. His struggles in Mumbai resonate with thousands of writers who face constant rejection. He can’t tolerate unfair criticism of his scripts, but sadly, defending one’s work is often perceived as a bad attitude. Years of rejection leave many writers distressed, and many turn to the bottle. Being a writer himself, Singh can easily identify with the pain of Farogh.
Hailing from Uttar Pradesh, Singh finds it difficult to acquire a certain tone. The hairdo doesn’t work for us either. Early on, we feared he might feel like a misfit in Malegaon’s world, but the unheralded actor soon ups the ante. Beyond the personal struggle, there is also a message for Bollywood—to respect writers and back original stories.
Shashank Arora has been around for a few years, often playing the sidekick. At first, it seemed he would follow the same path in Superboys of Malegaon. Shafique (Arora) is the only friend rejected in Malegaon Ka Sholay. He gets a role in the second film, but the lead actor and producer edit out a crucial part of his performance. Life deals him further blows, but it only leads him to eventually realise his dream of playing the lead hero. He finally gets that moment with Supermen of Malegaon. The closing visuals—the unbridled joy on Shafique’s face—are a sight worth dying for.
The other men in the lead cast also leave their mark. Anuj Duhan is hilarious as Akram. Jeez, why do all Akrams have silky long hair? For his second film, though, Akram bravely goes bald as he takes on the role of the antagonist in Supermen of Malegaon.
The men are fine, but a couple of women left us stunned. First is the late Jagdeep’s daughter, Muskkaan Jaaferi, who plays Nasir’s close friend and soon-to-be wife. The girl always liked Nasir, but he had given his heart to Mallika. Nasir marrying Shabeena (Jaaferi) is not a choice but an order from his brother, Nihal. On their first night, he tries to avoid intimacy—perhaps because, in his heart, he still yearns for Mallika. The girl comes close to her husband and gently says she wishes to continue her law studies. Later, when Supermen of Malegaon faces cash crunch, she even offers financial help to her husband. With a name like Muskkaan, the young actress naturally has a charming smile, but she backs it up with a convincing performance.
The same can be said of the unheralded Manjiri Pupala, who travels from Nashik to become Nasir’s Basmati in Malegaon Ke Sholay. Mumbai or Malegaon, a lead heroine always requires special attention. Trupti’s (Pupala) vanity comes with its own humour. Albeit a parody film, Basanti or Basmati—they are always adorable.
An inspiring story, gripping screenplay, stellar performances—Kagti’s film excels technically as well, with impressive production design and a standout background score.
Aspirational in its tone and drama, Superboys of Malegaon reminds us that for over 100 years, Indian cinema has not just been a soft power but a medium that transcends faith, caste, and religion. Malegaon is a predominantly Muslim bastion where people have long consumed Hindi films, many featuring Hindu protagonists. But this is misleading, for most Indians have always embraced cinema purely as entertainment. It is not about faith—Superboys of Malegaon celebrates the spirit of cinema and provides a community viewing experience like never before.
For a long time, Malegaon’s representation in Hindi cinema was fleeting, with Ashok Kumar making a brief mention of the city in the rap song Rail Gaadi (1968). Now, Reema Kagti’s film is not just set in Malegaon—it has perhaps put this cinema-loving city on the global map. Long live Nasir. God bless the souls of Shafique and Farogh.
Video review to follow.
