Superboys of Malegaon

Based on a true story, Superboys of Malegaon chronicles the life and work of self-made auteur Nasir Shaikh, whose no-budget, community-sourced productions turned his pals into cineastes and his hometown into an unlikely dream factory. Helmed by Reema Kagti (Talaash: The Answer Lies Within) in her latest collaboration with producer Zoya Akhtar (Gully Boy), the film is an inspiring ode to tenacity, self-actualization, and the sheer fun of filmmaking.

It’s 1997, and movie-mad Nasir (Adarsh Gourav, The White Tiger) is certain he’s destined for cinematic greatness, but great cinema never came out of his humdrum hometown of Malegaon. Nasir gets his first taste of success screening mashups of Buster Keaton and Jackie Chan action sequences, leading him toward a bright idea: if Malegaon moviegoers love revisiting the classics, wouldn’t they flock to see classics reimagined on their own turf? Borrowing gear from a wedding videographer and assembling a cast and crew of locals, Nasir sets out to remake Ramesh Sippy’s beloved 1975 film Sholay. Nasir’s campy, go-for-broke vision is a regional smash, and a glittering new road seems to open before him. But his journey will prove arduous, requiring him to check his ego and recognize that the friendships that helped him start making movies were essential to their magic.

Written by Kagti and Varun Grover (Three of Us), Superboys of Malegaon follows Nasir and his buddies over several years, tracking their joys, sorrows, and twists of fate. Brimming with comedy, adventure, and colourful characters, the film is a testament to the wonders that can be achieved when imagination is matched with resourcefulness, loyalty, and lots of love.