Superboys Of Malegaon Review: Adarsh Gourav, Vineet Kumar Singh Shine In Reema Kagti's Meaningful Film
Superboys of Malegaon, directed by Reema Kagti, follows Nasir (Adarsh Gourav) and friends as they create Malegaon's versions of Bollywood blockbusters like Sholay and Shaan.
Superboys of Malegaon U/A
There is something deeply moving about Superboys of Malegaon. It is not just a film about filmmaking – it is a film about resilience, friendship and the irrepressible desire to create. Director Reema Kagti creates a world where ambition and limitations coexist, where grand cinematic dreams are nurtured in the narrow lanes of Malegaon and where the magic of storytelling is stitched together with borrowed cameras but sheer conviction.
At the heart of it all is Nasir (Adarsh Gourav), a man who has spent his life idolising the greats on the big screen but now wants to carve out his own space in cinema – no matter how makeshift the tools at his disposal. With a ragtag group of friends, he embarks on a journey to make Malegaon’s own versions of Bollywood blockbusters like Sholay and Shaan, a dream that is as absurd as it is inspiring. But as success trickles in, so do ego, ambition and the inevitable fractures in friendships.
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Reema Kagti’s Superboys of Malegaon credits Faiza Khan’s documentary, Supermen of Malegaon (2008), but Kagti and Zoya Akhtar makes this film their own. And they do so in a way that shows both their brilliance as filmmakers and the raw power of the original story. The narrative is never tainted, never manipulated to fit a more commercial mould. Instead, it is presented in an authentic way – exactly as it should be.
What sets Superboys of Malegaon apart is its warmth. There are moments that make you laugh, moments that make you ache and ones that settle into your heart long after the film is over. One particularly striking scene involves a friend consoling another who has been diagnosed with a terminal illness which would require expensive treatment. He tells him, “Ameero waali bimari lagi hai tujhe." It’s a line so disarmingly funny yet heartbreaking that it lingers. Another scene, breathtaking in its subtlety, sees Farogh (beautifully played by Vineet Kumar Singh) losing his father to a heart attack right after his friendship with Nasir goes awry. There is no dramatic exchange, no explicit dialogue; because, when friendships waver, but a friend is needed the most – in the depths of grief – there are no grand gestures, no need for words. Just a quiet presence. The writing captures that with an intimacy that feels personal.
The cinematography is stunning, capturing the dust and dreams of Malegaon with a lens that makes you feel like you are right there, watching these men turn scraps of possibility into something tangible. The writing is razor-sharp — equal parts funny and at times, quietly devastating. Some scenes break you (dialogues by Varun Grover tug at your heartstrings), while others leave you wrapped in a warmth that refuses to fade even after the credits roll.
Not only is writing the sturdiest pillar of this masterpiece, what will stay with you are the performances. Adarsh Gourav is what you expect him to be – a chameleon who gets in the skin of Nasir. Shashank Arora as Shafique is so convincing that he draws you in every time he shows up on the screen. Vineet Kumar Singh as Farogh is just as breathtaking.
At its core, this is a film about grit. About courage. About believing in the impossible, even when the odds are stacked against you. It is about the sheer, undying love of cinema — the kind that keeps you up at night dreaming, that makes you gather your friends and say, “Idhar ek picture banate hai na (Let’s make a movie here)."
Superboys of Malegaon is not just a film you watch; it is a film you feel. And that feeling stays. Don’t miss it for anything.
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