Superboys Of Malegaon Movie Review: A heartwarming tale of friendship, faith and films
Superboys Of Malegaon Movie Review: Critics Rating: 4.5 stars, click to give your rating/review,A delightful underdog story that reminds you, nobodies can be somebodies once they let their dreams
Critic's Rating: 4.5/5
Story: Based on a true story that also inspired Faiza Ahmad Khan’s heartwarming documentary 'Supermen of Malegaon (2008)', Reema Kagti’s delightful film celebrates the passion of Nasir Shaikh, a self-taught filmmaker from Malegaon and his ragtag group of friends who dare to make a film in their town against all odds.
Review: Not all heroes wear branded capes and spandex. Some get their superman costume stitched from a local tailor with boxers replacing the briefs. Superboys of Malegaon pays a resounding tribute to the oddballs who dream. You may call these people delusional, ambitious or foolhardy. They are all Avengers in their own way, wielding the superpower of resilience, and ability to smile through their pain.
Over a period of 13 years starting with the late 90’s, the dramedy follows the lives of the passionate yet practical Nasir Shaikh (Adarsh Gourav) and his friends -- loyalist Shafique (Shashank Arora), writer-purist Farogh (Vineet Kumar Singh), videographer Akram (Anuj Singh Duhan) and Shakeel (Saqib Ayub) as they navigate life. Nasir’s small video parlour needs to sell tickets and what better than giving the audience a parody that localises Bollywood and Hollywood’s biggest hit movies? Malegaon ke Sholay, Shaan and Superman follow.
Each fighting to make ends meet, Malegaon’s motley bunch refuses to be defined by their grim reality, which is far from the world of magic and movies. No one wallows in self-pity, nor do the makers milk misery. Writer Varun Grover and director Reema Kagti build a compelling narrative, through this riveting tale of friendship, faith, failure and love of cinema in the absence of privilege. Be it class commentary, presenting feisty female characters or exploring the tenderness beneath the external conflict in male friendship, the writing and character arc are sharp, thoughtful and empathetic. Also, the film highlights the fact that filmmaking requires teamwork. It takes a village to make a film and writer baap hota hai.
Fast-paced and delightful, not a single moment feels dull or stretched. Every character has substance, and each performance adds further value to it. Adarsh Gourav, Shashank Arora and Vineet Kumar Singh deliver a masterclass in acting. The latter stands out the most and is styled like Farhan Akhtar. Manjiri Pupala is perfect as Trupti.
Producers Zoya Akhtar-Farhan Akhtar are often accused of telling elitist-urban stories. With Gully Boy and Malegaon, the desire to shrug off that label is evident. What qualifies as art? Who gets to decide what’s original? Even cringe can be creative, it’s all about the perception. Superboys of Malegaon doesn’t judge or mock the people who try. Set in Khandesh (Maharashtra), this one's a delightful underdog story that makes you smile and weep. You are reminded that nobodies can be somebodies once they let their dreams take flight. “Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”
Review: Not all heroes wear branded capes and spandex. Some get their superman costume stitched from a local tailor with boxers replacing the briefs. Superboys of Malegaon pays a resounding tribute to the oddballs who dream. You may call these people delusional, ambitious or foolhardy. They are all Avengers in their own way, wielding the superpower of resilience, and ability to smile through their pain.
Over a period of 13 years starting with the late 90’s, the dramedy follows the lives of the passionate yet practical Nasir Shaikh (Adarsh Gourav) and his friends -- loyalist Shafique (Shashank Arora), writer-purist Farogh (Vineet Kumar Singh), videographer Akram (Anuj Singh Duhan) and Shakeel (Saqib Ayub) as they navigate life. Nasir’s small video parlour needs to sell tickets and what better than giving the audience a parody that localises Bollywood and Hollywood’s biggest hit movies? Malegaon ke Sholay, Shaan and Superman follow.
Each fighting to make ends meet, Malegaon’s motley bunch refuses to be defined by their grim reality, which is far from the world of magic and movies. No one wallows in self-pity, nor do the makers milk misery. Writer Varun Grover and director Reema Kagti build a compelling narrative, through this riveting tale of friendship, faith, failure and love of cinema in the absence of privilege. Be it class commentary, presenting feisty female characters or exploring the tenderness beneath the external conflict in male friendship, the writing and character arc are sharp, thoughtful and empathetic. Also, the film highlights the fact that filmmaking requires teamwork. It takes a village to make a film and writer baap hota hai.
Fast-paced and delightful, not a single moment feels dull or stretched. Every character has substance, and each performance adds further value to it. Adarsh Gourav, Shashank Arora and Vineet Kumar Singh deliver a masterclass in acting. The latter stands out the most and is styled like Farhan Akhtar. Manjiri Pupala is perfect as Trupti.
Producers Zoya Akhtar-Farhan Akhtar are often accused of telling elitist-urban stories. With Gully Boy and Malegaon, the desire to shrug off that label is evident. What qualifies as art? Who gets to decide what’s original? Even cringe can be creative, it’s all about the perception. Superboys of Malegaon doesn’t judge or mock the people who try. Set in Khandesh (Maharashtra), this one's a delightful underdog story that makes you smile and weep. You are reminded that nobodies can be somebodies once they let their dreams take flight. “Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”
In-depth Analysis
Our overall critic’s rating is not an average of the sub scores below.
