There are a lot of good things already spoken about Reema Kagti and Varun Grover’s Superboys of Malegaon, but apart from the exceptional craft on display, the film makes us understand how huge a cost one has to pay to protect their dreams in a country like ours. The entertainment industry, in general, is ruthless, and moreover, being an artist in a place where people just don’t appreciate or value art and creativity is even more disheartening. Though Superboys of Malegaon is a story of hope, of passion, of aspirations and dreams, it very subtly tells you that if you choose any profession that is a bit unconventional, then you will have to face obstacles at every turn. I might be wrong, but most people in the Indian subcontinent imagine their lives in a certain manner. You study, get a job, get married, buy property, etc. But the moment you choose to be an artist; the entire itinerary goes down the drain. It becomes important to not lose faith in your abilities and to have patience, but the most crucial aspect, which I believe makes a huge difference, is stubbornness. The world is against you, the odds don’t favor you, your own people think you have lost your mind, and maybe you also feel that something is just not right with you, but in that moment where everything seems to fall apart, you need to show an obstinate refusal to conform with their ideologies. You need to tell the world that this is not how your story is going to end. For me, Superboys of Malegaon is a story of a bunch of cinephiles who were mad enough to believe that they could make their own film when they had absolutely no resources or knowledge to start with.
Spoiler Alert
Is it based on a true story?
All the characters and most of the events that we saw in the film were actually inspired by real-life people. The Superboys of Malegaon did have to face a lot of obstacles when they decided to make a film in their own village. Most of the things shown in the film actually happened in real life, though at certain places the makers have taken creative liberties to make the narrative more engaging and entertaining. Nasir Shaikh did run a film parlor in Malegaon where, from Chaplin to Jackie Chan, he showed all kinds of films. As shown in the film, Nasir and his team used a bicycle to mount their camera, as they did not have the resources to buy a trolley or proper equipment. They did make a parody film of Sholay, which happened to be the most popular Hindi film at that time. Nasir’s friend, Farogh, who was an exceptional writer, died at the age of 45, whereas their friend Shafique passed away due to cancer. Nasir did shoot Malegaon ka Superman with Shafique playing the lead role, as he didn’t want his friend to have any regrets about his life.
How did Nasir decide to make his own film?
Nasir, Shafique, Farogh, Akram, and Irfan were a group of young boys who were greatly fascinated with the magic that was cinema. Where Nasir ran a film parlor, Farogh wanted to be a writer someday. Nasir’s parlor was the only place where Hollywood classics, like those of Charlie Chaplin or Bruce Lee, were played. But that didn’t work with the audience at Malegaon since they wanted massy entertainers. Nasir one day went to Nasik to bring a VHS tape of a popular Indian film when he saw another shop where video editing was done. He learned how to copy a film on a VHS and cut the scene that you do not want to show. Nasir felt that he had unlocked a superpower. Now he could club all the action sequences and show 4 films in one, moreover guaranteeing that the audience would not get bored. That trick worked for him until one day the police conducted a raid on his parlor. Nasir’s elder brother bribed the officers, who told him that piracy was a serious crime and they could go to prison for it. Business was at an all-time low, but Nasir had still not given up. He had an epiphany of sorts, and he decided that he would make his own film in Malegaon. Nasir realized that he didn’t need to go to Mumbai to make a film. He had a fair idea about cinematography since he had done wedding videography together with his friend Akram. He knew that Farogh could write a screenplay for him, and he believed that he would find actors to do the roles. Shafique was probably the first one to come on board, as he’d always wanted to be an actor, but the others, including Farogh, just felt that Nasir had lost his mind. But then something unprecedented happened. Farogh’s ego got hurt after his stepmother sold all the newspapers in which his columns were published. Farogh went to Nasir and told him that he was on board. Though Farogh wanted to make a film on a serious topic, Nasir convinced him to make a parody of the famous Hindi film, Sholay. Nasir felt that the people would enjoy comedy, and he was not wrong. Malegaon ki Sholay was a super hit, but things went downhill from there, and to a certain extent, Nasir had only himself to blame for it.
Why did Nasir and Faruq have a fight?
Nasir’s crew felt that he became a bit selfish after the success of his first film. Firstly, he didn’t tell anybody about the profit that the film had made, and he kept all the money for himself. Then, secondly, people gave him all the credit for the film, and he never even once spoke about how if he didn’t have his boys with him, he wouldn’t have been able to accomplish anything. Then, to make matters worse, he also had certain creative differences with Farogh. Farogh felt that, after Sholay’s success, Nasir ought to make a film on his story that he had pitched at the beginning. But Nasir wanted to make another parody. Also, Farogh felt extremely left out. Not only did he not get any credit for writing the entire story and dialogue, but Nasir’s condescending behavior really hurt him. Farogh decided to go to Mumbai and not return until he became an accomplished writer. Nasir, on the other hand, kept making films, but soon business went dry as people stopped watching his films. Akram also had a falling out with Nasir, and he also ended his creative partnership with him after he felt really humiliated by his actions. Over a period of time, Nasir closed his film parlor and, on the advice of his elder brother, opened a small cafe there. Farogh, meanwhile, visited every production house in Mumbai, narrating his scripts to every person he could meet, but nothing went in his favor. There were times when Farogh felt extremely frustrated with everything that had been happening. He desperately wanted to go back to Malegaon, but his ego just wouldn’t let him accept his defeat.
What was Nasir and Farogh’s last gift to Shafique?
Shafique got diagnosed with cancer, and even after chemotherapy, his condition did not improve. The doctors told Nasir that Shafique didn’t have a lot of time. The entire group of friends that hadn’t talked to each other for years came back together, as they wanted to be there for Shafique and do whatever they could to make him happy. Farogh and Nasir reconciled after years of cold war, and both of them felt as if somebody had lifted a huge burden from their shoulders. Nasir, by that time, had given up on his passion, and he had compromised with his life. But then, after seeing Shafique, Nasir realized how unpredictable life could be. One day, Shafique just stood beside a river and said that he wasn’t sad that he was diagnosed with a terminal illness, but what disappointed him was that he was never able to accomplish anything in his life. Shafique said that if life had given him a chance, then he too would have done something. Those words stirred something inside Nasir. He thought of a concept and then went to meet Farogh and ask him to write the screenplay. Farogh came on board, and they decided that they were going to make a film on the same subject that Farogh had narrated to Nasir when they first thought of making a film. The plot where a common man took a stand against a rich businessman had potential, but Nasir wanted to make the execution a bit satirical and humorous. So he decided that the protagonist was going to be a superman who would fight against the tobacco king and save the world. Nasir had seen how badly Shafique wanted to act all his life. So, as a last gift to his beloved friend, Nasir decided that Shafique would play the protagonist, Superman. Nasir had some really understanding and kindhearted people around him. Nasir’s wife gave over her entire savings to him to make his film. Shabeena always knew that Nasir loved another woman he could never get married to. She knew that had that relationship worked, he wouldn’t have married her. She knew he was still in love with that girl and that he couldn’t move on from his past.
It was beautiful to see both of them bond and develop that bond of friendship and love. In the end, the Superboys of Malegaon did make their film, and Shafique couldn’t stop his tears when he saw himself on the big screen. Maybe the boys were never able to make it big in the Hindi film industry, but they were happy that they had kept their passion alive. They were happy that they had the freedom to create what they wanted and not be forced to make something that they didn’t believe in. There was a time when Nasir felt that he was foolish to think that he could make a film in Malegaon and entertain people. That’s when Farogh told his friend that if he didn’t tell the story of their place and people, then who would? Farogh rightly said that their small efforts might not have created a whirlwind, but they’d surely etched the name of Malegaon in the history of cinema.
