At last year’s San Diego Asian Film Festival, I saw a film that won my cold heart, “Superboys of Malegaon.” I am thrilled to share that the film is currently in theaters and will hopefully move to streaming next, since it is being distributed by Amazon MGM Studios.
Sentimentality is not my thing. But I am a sucker for tales of tortured monsters, the ripe melodrama of both Douglas Sirk and South Korean cinema, and stories about scrappy filmmakers discovering the potential for the medium. “Superboys of Malegaon” falls into the latter category — and throws in some melodrama for good measure.
The film is inspired by the true story documented in the 2008 documentary “Supermen of Malegaon.” Both films follow the life of amateur filmmaker Nasir Shaikh (played by Adarsh Gourav in the narrative film) and his circle of friends, who come together to make movies in their small town of Malegaon.
Nasir and his friends, like many people in India, look to Bollywood cinema for an escape from daily life. At first, Nasir fashions a filmmaking business around re-editing multiple VHS tapes of well-known movies into something new to screen at the makeshift cinema. But when authorities crack down on that business, Nasir comes up with a more ambitious idea — giving a local spin to those glossy, epic Bollywood films by making his own right in Malegaon, for the people of Malegaon. He calls on his friends to write, shoot and act in essentially rip-offs of famous Bollywood films — but with a Malegaon flavor.
While the films are far from professional, they burst with enthusiasm and passion and strike a chord with local filmgoers, who get a kick out of seeing people and places they know.
As directed by Reema Kagti, the film has a certain Mickey Rooney-Judy Garland vibe of “Hey kids, let’s put on a show.” Nasir discovers hidden talents in some of his friends and locals, then runs into creative differences about what the films should be — money-making entertainment or something with social values as well. But in the end, Kagti's film is about friendship and coming together to make something magical.
The centerpiece film-within-a-film is a rip off of "Superman," and Nasir has to figure out a cheap way to create the special effects to make his superhero fly. When the footage unspools at the tiny cinema, the audience is in awe — and so was I. The film is such a delightful celebration of not just cinema but also the creative spark. And that's something I find hard to resist.
Kagti pulls on our heartstrings, but the emotions feel genuine, and her cast is infinitely appealing. All the behind-the-scenes shenanigans of making a movie with no money won me over and make the film buzz with energy. The story also takes a serious dramatic turn, and Kagti handles the shift with grace.
I highly recommend watching the documentary “Supermen of Malegaon” as a complement to this film. I have yet to find the actual film Nasir made, “Yeh Hai Malegaon Ka Superman,” but I will continue to seek it out. I just saw the Turkish "Superman" rip-off called "Return of Superman" — part of what has been dubbed “remakesploitation” — and it too was a charming delight. I love films that do not let a lack of budget or resources stop them from being made. Sometimes those films can be a slog to get through, especially if the filmmaker is self-indulgent. But many times there is a certain alchemy in the mix of passion, production challenges and intrepid ingenuity. “Superboys of Malegaon” captures that alchemy and celebrates it. And right now, I really feel a need for that kind of joy.
