Superboys of Malegaon
Director: Reema Kagti
Rating: ★★★★
In a particularly engaging scene in Superboys of Malegaon, two characters- the director and pen- fight over who made their film a megahit. In a moment of rage, the pen riots, ‘ pen baap hota hai!’- and it feels like the fourth wall has broken, and the bone being addressed is our film assiduity.( Also read Reema Kagti got her Advertisements 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 flicks in the first place. It’s a protestation to our assiduity, which is floundering to find what makes theatre viewing crack with cult.
What’s Superboys of Malegaon about
Grounded on a real- life story, it revolves around Nasir( Adarsh Gourav), who’s screening English classics like Charlie Chaplin in 1994, when the sleepy city of Malegaon is only interested in Hindi masala flicks. After his movie parlour is demolished by the police for converting flicks, he decides he’ll make a film. Malegaon ka Sholay. aiding him are his musketeers- Shafique( Shashank Arora), Farogh( Vineet Singh), and Akram( Anuj Singh Duhan). Are they successful? What happens coming? Watch it for the rest of the story.
A film about a film should be declared a kidney unto itself now and the Akhtars are as believable a source as they come. Zoya Akhtar’s managerial debut, Luck By Chance, was a peep into how Bollywood workshop. This one, inspired by the 2008 talkie Supermen of Malegaon, is produced by them. What’s inconceivable 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 study- provoking moments throughout, Superboys of Malegaon is a pleasurable lift — a rare bone without any boring moments. Full props to pen Varun Grover for it.
The script is direct — after 1994, we jump forward to 2004 and also 2010, and each frame feels justified. Reema and Varun have crammed a lot into the script — from pens having to rough it out in Mumbai to indeed be heard to a commentary on how plutocrat and success overpower passion, which explains why the assiduity is suffering. Superboys of Malegaon is therefore extremely applicable.
Which brings us to the performances. Adarsh Gourav and Shashank Arora have hit it out of the demesne. Between the former’s passion and the ultimate’s innocence, they do n’t miss a beat. All Shashank’s Shafique wants to do is fly on an airplane- and fly he does. It’s captured beautifully by Swapnil S. Sonawane. The flourishing homestretch will leave you in gashes; do keep a towel handy.
Javed Akhtar’s influence on this film can be felt heavily. Salim- Javed, the brace that rocked the film assiduity as stars in the 1970s and early 1980s, demanded to be taken seriously, akin to the outburst Vineet Singh’s character has when a film patron criticises his story in this film. Vineet, with his recent film Chhaava doing so well, is having a pleasurable run at the pictures. I am happy to see him eventually having his moment under the sun. The entire cast deserves an applause.
To add it up
Superboys of Malegaon is an unmissable ode to flicks. And a memorial- the cult crave entertainment. While makers consider about making votes, conclusions, or analogous flicks just because one worked- movie suckers will go in for indeed brainrot, handed they’ve a good time. One is reminded of Himesh Reshammiya’s recent Badass Ravikumar.
