'Superboys of Malegaon' is receiving critical acclaim as it releases in theaters on February 28, 2025. Inspired by the life of Nasir Shaikh and other filmmakers from Malegaon, this Reema Kagti-directed film stars Adarsh Gourav, Vineet Kumar Singh, and Shashank Arora. The movie also draws inspiration from the 2008 documentary 'Supermen of Malegaon'.

Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Reema Kagti, known for her work on 'Talaash' and 'Gold', 'Superboys of Malegaon' tells the story of Nasir Shaikh, an auteur who led community-sourced, no-budget productions that eventually turned into full-fledged films. His hometown of Malegaon became a dream factory for such grassroots film projects. The film was co-produced with Zoya Akhtar, known for 'Gully Boy' and 'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara' (ZNMD).

Where is Malegaon?

Malegaon is a city in Nashik, Maharashtra, located on the banks of the Girna River. It is renowned for its loom industry.

Is Superboys of Malegaon Inspired by a true story?

Yes, 'Superboys of Malegaon' is inspired by the true story of Nasir Shaikh, a self-made man. The film was written by lyricist and writer Varun Grover, who met Nasir and his colleague Farogh in 2012, shortly after the release of the documentary Supermen of Malegaon. Grover stayed in touch with Farogh over the years, and in 2019, when Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti began researching the film, Grover was asked to pen the script.

In a long note on X (formerly Twitter), Grover shared his first encounter with the "filmy gang of friends" from Malegaon, who had made it their mission to create local films for their community. Grover spoke about the people who inspired the film and how he finished writing the script in 2023. Sadly, one of the key figures, Farogh, who helped inspire the film, passed away before its completion.

Grover also mentioned that, like many films, 'Superboys of Malegaon' took nearly half a decade to come to fruition.

I met Nasir and Farogh in 2012 - right after the screening of Faiza Khan’s magnificent documentary made on Malegaon film industry. Stayed in touch with Farogh over the years and then in 2019 Zoya Akhtar asked me if i’d like to write a film on Malegaon.

I, Shoaib Nazeer… pic.twitter.com/PF3eSkmHLK

— वरुण 🇮🇳 (@varungrover) February 27, 2025

Who is Nasir Shaikh?

Nasir Shaikh, the man whose life is the inspiration for the film, recently shared his thoughts with AFP about having his story adapted into a feature film. He described cinema as an escape from everyday struggles and highlighted Malegaon's video parlours, where Bollywood classics are screened on large TV screens at a fraction of the cost of real cinema.

Nasir, once a struggling wedding videographer and an "unemployed cinema buff," began making films for his community in the mid-2000s. "I decided to make a movie with cheap rented cameras, innovative production hacks, and a crew of equally enthusiastic film fanatics," he told AFP. He invested his savings and raised money from friends to fund spoofs of Bollywood and Hollywood films, such as Malegaon Ka Superman, where a caped superhero battles cancer-causing tobacco.

The response to Nasir's films was "unbelievable." His work came to be known as "Mollywood" and gained international attention through the documentary 'Supermen of Malegaon'.

However, with the advent of online content platforms and the pandemic, some members of Nasir's crew started making profits through online comedy shows. In fact, several amateur writers, actors, and directors began producing features that generated income through digital platforms, and one of them also had his big Bollywood break as an assistant writer.