‘Superboys of Malegaon’ Review: A Heartfelt Tribute to Grassroots Filmmaking:

‘Superboys of Malegaon’ is the affected representation of a group of young men determined to make it in the cinema industry regardless of their whereabouts. This dramedy focuses on an inspirational tale of a group of people who further themselves into the realm of artistry, despite their mostruggle. Real life events have been captured in this film which was beautifully scripted by Varun Grover and masterfully directed by Reema Kagti. The film makes the audiences laugh and weep at the same time with the motivation and affection bestowed upon Varun Grover’s scripts which are outrageously wonderful.

The Film chronicles the incredible story of Nasir, Shafique, and Farogh, three men from Malegaon. Nasir accompanied his brother who owned a video-piracy parlour, Shafique worked at a loom factory, and Farogh was a newspaper columnist. The three became close friends and would spend a lot of their free time together until they faced a slew of unfortunate events due to a Police riot that left Nasir’s business in shambles. As a last resort in order to salvage his business, Nasir decided to make a parody of the film ‘Sholay’. To his surprise, he was able to find a huge pool of local talent that was willing to assist him and Farogh with his self-owned video camera, they managed to shoot the film. The film turned out to be a massive success and helped Nasir get out of financial debt, but the main issue that arose was the strain the success of his film put on Shafiques life. At the end of the film, Shafique is diagnosed with cancer which adds an extreme emotional depth to the film. Nasir putting all of his friends through so much pain is something that won’t settle easy.

Authenticity and cultural richness

The fortification of the film rests on a single pivot – its authenticity. It makes the characters and their respective traits even more mesmerizing. The aforementioned list includes Buster Keaton, Chaplin Bruce Lee, and now, the chakras of India’s Hindu mythology. Towards the show’s climax, there is a scene that is both excellent as well as profoundly concerning. The line delivered by Vineet Kumar Singh’s character, “Writer sab kuch hota hai,” underlines the overwhelming status of a wondrous storyteller. Besides, the power of Bollywood to unite the country which it does through its cinema irrespective of caste/class and other divisive factors is certainly something to be applauded. The scenes showing Nasir and his friends casting and shooting their film using window curtains as a ‘thela’ and a bicycle as a ‘cycle’ are without a doubt some of the most adorable scenes in the movie. More than the film, this is a story of filmmaking, friendship and dedication.

The performances of particular note enhance the overall impact of the film: The film’s success is supported further by the ace cast. Adarsh Gourav, in particular, as Nasir, epitomizes the metamorphosis of a regular tosser to a desperate filmmaker, brilliantly. Their friendships, especially with fame’s onset, shifts beautifully. Shashank Arora, as Shafique, delivers heart-wrenching moments in the latter part of the film when his role is revealed as a cancer patient. His emotionally powerful and tenderly magniloquent performance in these parts is simply stunning. Vineet Kumar Singh, as the writer Farogh, adjudged the best ‘Chhaava’, has put in yet another commendable performance. The scene ‘the struggling writer’ is expertly crafted and added to the novel exponentially. The brotherhood between the main actors seems to flow naturally, which is the engaging part of the story.

The film’s success is further enhanced by its exceptional cast. Adarsh Gourav Nasir does a compelling job as the nascent tosser who transforms into a desperate filmmaker. Their friendships, especially with the onset of fame, beautifully shifts. In the woman role Shafique, Shashank Arora, although portrays a cancer patient in the latter part of the film without any of the heart-warming moments, delivers tenderly magnificent, emotionally powerful and stunningly stunning great and emotionally powerful scenes instead. Vineet Kumar Singh the writer might have not, ‘Chhaava’, but without it, he has put in yet most commendable performances than Adam. yet Another best put in term ‘The Struggling writer’ is wondered away crafted so expertly that it instead double the value of the next. The brotherhood between the main actors does seem to flow naturally which is instead the part that engaging of the story.

Verdict

The movie comes across as a funny yet deeply emotional depiction of friendship, ambition, and perseverance. One might describe ‘Superboys of Malegaon’ as a charming movie that is full of humor and heartfelt moments. The film's storytelling is bare-bones but effective, while the score by Sachin-Jigar fits the film like a glove. Once more, Reema Kagti displays her talent as a filmmaker with the release of another commercially and intellectually engaging film. This film demonstrates how the most essential and greatest part of cinema revolves around a strong narrative and how it is skillfully told.

Cast: Adarsh Gourav, Shashank Arora, Vineet Kumar Singh, Anuj Singh Duhan, Manjiri Pupala

Director: Reema Kagti

Rating: 4/5

(‘Superboys of Malegaon’ will open in cinemas on February 28)