Superboys of Malegaon Movie Cast/Actors: Adarsh Gourav, Shashank Arora, Vineet Kumar Singh, Gyanendra Tripathi, Muskkaan Jaferi, Anuj Singh Duhan, Riddhi Kumar, Manjiri Pupala & others
Superboys of Malegaon Movie Director: Reema Kagti
Superboys of Malegaon Movie Production House: Excel Entertainment & Tiger Baby Films
Superboys of Malegaon Movie Release Date: 28th February, 2025
Superboys of Malegaon Movie Available On: Theatrical Release and (likely to be released on Amazon Prime Video OTT Platform)
Superboys of Malegaon Movie Released/Available In Languages: Hindi
Superboys of Malegaon Movie Runtime: 2h 7m
Superboys of Malegaon Movie Critic Review:
In 2019, a production house went into the slums of Dharavi, into the lives of Murad Ahmed (Ranveer Singh), his ladylove Safeena (Alia Bhatt) and the gully-origin rap music that emanated passionately from their mohalla. It was Zoya Akhtar’s delicately unobtrusive look at a troubled family in a community which is in no conflict with any other. Safeena, she cast, as a surgeon in the making.
Six years later, Zoya’s filmmaking partner Reema Kagti replicates the community in a different setting, driven by a different passion. Doffing her hat to Faiza Ahmad Khan and her crew for their 2012 documentary ‘Supermen of Malegaon’, which is the springboard for Varun Grover’s feature film screenplay, the camera moves to Malegaon, a small town in Maharashtra, earlier known for its (hand) loom factories.
Between Reema and writer Varun, they give life to Nasir Shaikh (Adarsh Gourav) who made small, amateur-level films out of Malegaon. From a Mithun haircut to an Amitabh dialogue, a freeze shot of Salman Khan and a fleeting tribute to two dosts on a two-wheeler from Sholay, the movie mania of a bunch of young men is unmissable. There is a touch of Anand too, and there are hat-tips to Buster Keaton and Bruce Lee who live on.
Older brother Nihal (Gyanendra Tripathi) is the one watching the account books with alarm while Nasir gathers his buddies, writer Faroq (Vineet Kumar Singh), shadow-like, all-purpose man Shafique (Shashank Arora) and assorted others to make their own Malegaon-based movies. Nasir’s debut as filmmaker with an entertaining ‘Malegaon Ke Sholay’ is a superhit.
In telling the story of Nasir and company, apart from passion that must fuel filmmaking of any genre, Reema lingers without lecturing on camaraderie, teamwork, grudges over who gets the credit for a film and the profits, with the disgruntled often moving away.
Safeena the surgeon of Gully Boy, gets replaced by Shabeena (Muskkaan Jaferi), a headscarf-wearing lawyer who stands by husband Nasir, his dreams, his ups and downs.
There is a pattern, for sure.
The pattern also packages an all-round grip on making cinema that has a human connect, that has poignancy, conflict and a sense of fun. In the Malegaon version of Sholay, it’s Rubber Singh and Basmati. Does make you smile with fond nostalgia. It’s no roll-in-the-aisles, banana peel humour. But it’s present in lines like, ‘Ramdeo, photo deo’. It’s a mild chuckle even when a busy oncologist suddenly makes time to be on set because Nasir has promised him the role of Superman’s father – an actor dying to surface in practically every human.
Originality vs Remakes, video parlour vs cinema hall, it’s all there making its statements.
This is one rare film where the BG score and BG numbers, ‘In bandon ko kya kehte hai’ and ‘Malegaon ka Superman…’ play their pleasant part as old friends finds their way to glue together again to make a mukkamal, a classic movie. Sachin-Jigar, step forward and take a bow, please.
Reema tells a fine story but like she herself states, it is precision teamwork that gives ‘Superboys of Malegaon’ its watchability. Superman, incidentally, described as wearing a ‘lal dupatta and rangeen chaddi’.
Adarsh Gourav, who has already shown what a chameleon-like actor he is in The White Tiger (2021), carries Nasir Shaikh like he always knew him. Vineet Kumar Singh has established himself as capable of any emotional intensity required in a role and he delivers again. Shashank Arora (seen in shows like Tanaav), Anuj Singh Duhan (as Akram, the tall AB of Malegaon), Manjiri Pupala (as Trupti, the ‘Basmati’ of ‘Malegaon Ke Sholay’), Riddhi Kumar (as Nasir’s first love) and Muskkaan Jaferi are cast perfectly.
It’s a reassurance that Hindi cinema has readied a range of new actors, all set to take over the domain.
Superboys of Malegaon Watch Or Not?: It is time to go watch a film that respects cinema and to support cinema powered by proficient performances, not driven by star power alone. Will the audience oblige?
Superboys of Malegaon Review Score Rating: 3.5 out of 5 (i.e. 3.5/5)
Superboys of Malegaon Movie Official Trailer:
Credits: Prime Video India
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