- Tuesday, February 25, 2025
The film is about a self-taught filmmaker’s efforts to pursue his dream by making a film in the small town of Malegaon instead of going to Mumbai
By: India Weekly
SELF-TAUGHT filmmaker Nasir Shaikh’s determination to make movies despite limited resources has inspired director Reema Kagti, producer Farhan Akhtar, and actor Adarsh Gaurav.
His journey is the focus of the upcoming film “Superboys of Malegaon”, which aims to encourage others to pursue their dreams against all odds.
The film, set in Malegaon, a small town in western India, follows Shaikh and his two friends, played by Shashank Arora and Vineet Kumar Singh, as they produce low-budget spoofs of Bollywood and Hollywood films such as “Sholay” and “Superman”.
Kagti, known for films like “Talaash” and “Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd”, said she related to Shaikh’s story in many ways.
“The one important difference is that I moved from a small town to Mumbai because I wanted to direct, Nasir brought Mumbai to his town,” Kagti said.
“He didn’t wait for anything to be handed out. He went out within his limited resources, he made a film, he put it out there with no agenda, purely for the love of filmmaking.”
Shaikh’s approach to filmmaking — creating and distributing his work independently in video parlours — impressed the filmmakers. Kagti noted that he produced a film for around ₹50,000 and earned ₹ 200,000-300,000 from it. She hopes his story inspires others.
Akhtar, who is producing the film through Excel Entertainment, said Shaikh’s story highlights resilience and resourcefulness.
“We complain a lot in our life, ‘This is not there, that is not there, and how will it happen?’ Here is a story of people who didn’t complain, they were like, ‘What’s the point of complaining? Get up and do something,’” Akhtar said.
Actor Adarsh Gaurav, known for “The White Tiger”, portrays Shaikh in the film. He recalled being deeply moved when he first read the script by writer Varun Grover.
“I remember the first time I read the script, I was just completely blown away,” Gaurav said. “When the entire world is kind of against you, you prove everybody wrong and come out as a winner.”
Shaikh said he was inspired by Zoya Akhtar’s work, particularly “Luck By Chance”. He first met her in 2009 at Osian’s Film Festival in Delhi, where she offered to make a film based on his life.
Despite delays due to her other commitments, he remained committed to the idea of her producing his story.
Kagti said that beyond filmmaking, “Superboys of Malegaon” also explores themes of friendship and support, which she found relatable in her own career.
The film, produced by Amazon MGM Studios, Excel Entertainment, and Tiger Baby, is set for theatrical release on February 28 in India, the US, UK, UAE, Australia, and New Zealand.
Kagti emphasised that filmmakers should focus on making good movies rather than obsessing over box office figures.
