Supermen of Malegaon

Like American Movie, SUPERMEN OF MALEGEON is a documentary about the very nature of film-making itself. The stars of the show are a group of low-budget film producers in central India who decide to make their own Superman spoof starring a little skinny guy who partakes in all kinds of silly slapstick scenarios. As with American Movie, the sheer enthusiasm of these guys makes the documentary fun to watch, and no doubt a lot better than the quality of the end product they're working on.

SUPERMEN OF MALEGAON isn't as good as American Movie by any means. The quirky characters are there, but they just aren't as well defined as in the US documentary. The best parts of the film are where we watch the various scenes of the movie being filmed with the crowd right behind the actors. The final clips shown at the climax are hilariously awful in a way that recalls the glorious old days of trash cinema like THE MAN WHO SAVES THE WORLD and Turkish E.T.

Documentaries, as a genre, are popular among audience in many countries across the world and even find theatrical releases just as regular feature films. However, in India, most cinephiles would remember documentaries as those dull productions from the Films Division of India that preceded their much awaited movies at the theaters. Many others may also recognise them as part of staple programming during an ancient era when that solitary state channel - Doordarshan - ruled the roost in Indian Television. Quite often, these documentaries were used by the ruling dispensation as effective Weapons of Mass Diversion (WMD) to influence a captive audience who were bereft of choice. Consequently, the genre of documentaries never found much favour with the general public and have withered away with the onset of satellite television which subjected them to a deluge of 24*7 news and entertainment channels.

Supermen of Malegaon is a novel enterprise that successfully weds the supposedly drab genre of documentary to that great opiate of Indian masses, viz. cinema. It is, indeed, a travesty that most mainstream media references to Indian cinema in this centenary year are restricted to that singular monolith called Bollywood, save for a few exceptions who may make (at best) a passing reference to the many strands of regional cinema that are churned out from the several & lesser cousin "woods" (Tollywood(s), Kollywood, Sandalwood, Mollywood, et al.).

Few of us would be aware that there exist an even more micro strand in the realms of Indian cinema called local cinema. I, for one, was totally ignorant of such a species of movies prior to watching this documentary. Local cinema emerges from the numerous small towns across India and is fuelled by little else other than the indomitable spirit of cinephiles who have this ardent passion to make movies which are predominantly consumed locally.



This brilliant hour long documentary, directed by Faiza Ahmed Khan, chronicles the travails of one such strand local cinema of Malegaon, a small town in Maharashtra which is about 300 km from Mumbai. It tells story of Sheikh Nasir and his rag-tag band of enthusiastic friends who assist him by associating themselves with various aspects of film-making. Armed with a single video camera, a computer and talents that are sourced locally, they make parodies of mainstream hits on what is essentially a shoe-string budget of upto Rs. 50,000/- per movie. These movies are screened in the ramshackle video parlours of Malegaon and are well received by an audience which find movies as their primary and perhaps, predominant source of entertainment after several hours of hard labour in the several power looms units which provide livelihood to most of the residents of this small town.

After finding an encouraging reception for their earlier movies such as Malegaon Ka Sholay, Malegaon Ka Shaan, etc., Nasir and his associates dare to parody a popular Hollywood superhero movie, viz. Superman. The documentary captures the making of this ambitious project which despite being constrained by limited resources, is however, realised through their boundless imagination, toil and also some essential desi jugaad. The project is beset with several setbacks and challenges and how Nasir and his team overcome them is presented with a light humour throughout. Simultaneously, we are also presented with a close look at the harsh realities of their existence clouded by privations and penury.

Faiza and her crew remain keen observers of the unfolding events in all their details without in any way disturbing the milieu or the flow and consequently, neither the humour nor the sombre moments appear forced and they essentially flow from the reality of the situation itself. Faiza shuns that familiar urge of her counterparts in Bollywood and desists from reducing Nasir or his team as mere caricatures. Rather, she opts to present an authentic and very real account of their lives hard labour, limited means, their ambitious dreams, unflinching spirit and inventiveness with which they pursue those dreams which adds gravitas to the proceedings and engages the viewers.

Supermen of Malegaon is an endearing watch that could effortlessly charm the viewer with its fine balance of dry humour and poignancy. It is also an ode to the passion and enthusiasm of independent film makers like Nasir and his team whose efforts who spare no effort to realise their dreams and to that extent are no less than the superhero they parody.

The director Faiza Ahmed Khan and her team have won several accolades globally and one feels that they are so well deserved as the viewer is successfully transported to this small town for an entertaining and realistic rendezvous with Nasir and his motley band as they go about making their dream project. One only hopes that they present us with more such gems in the future and many more makers find inspiration from their success to venture on this road less travelled called documentaries. I, for one, hope that Faiza's (and even Nasir's) much more pampered and privileged peers from mainstream cinema watch Supermen of Malegaon and learn a thing or two about creativity and craft that sparkles in this accomplished work of art. Alas, it may be too much of a hope ......

This movie is so funny, moving, charming, intelligent - such a totally engaging illustration of the never-old truth that wit, ambition, creativity, and ingenuity can turn up anyplace at any time.

In a poor and, to most of the rest of the world, not-known part of India, some people make, screen, and enjoy their own low-budget, high-effort versions of famous movies, from Bollywood and, in the adventure narrated here, Hollywood - in this one they're filming the story of Superman, re-presented as a local superhero, retaining of course his distinctive caped costume. Highlights include an interruption for the (very skinny) actor to attend his own wedding, and the wonderful story of the crew solving the problem of making Superman fly.

Supermen of Malegaon. I thought this title to be misleading as why is it Supermen and not Superman? Obviously I had to be wrong. And how I was convinced to believe the title is the matter.

Malegaon is a small town in Maharashtra known for one of a kind film-making. No less than Hollywood. Due to the prevailing communal tension, Hindus and Muslims reside on the two other side of the town divided by a river. Though mainly Muslims are involved in the film-making, entertainment in the form of video theaters comes to all irrespective of the caste. Though the old orthodox Muslims consider it as a sin watching a film, it is amusing to see how these young cine goers of Malegaon enters a video theater that could give a winning competition to hundreds of crazy bulls left to kill. No wonder why even the gatekeepers fear opening the doors for them. This is the firing passion. Passion to watch cinema and to make them. Where dreams never compromise for big budgets. This is Mollywood.

Shaikh Nasir is the Ramesh Sippy of Malegaon. And to be Richard Donner. After his magnum opus Malegaon Ka Sholay and Shaan, he covets Hollywood as he worshiped its master style of camera angles, lights, and also it was untouched in Malegaon. Comedy has an eternal soul, he believes. And that's the reason he loves making parody films, with his upcoming Malegaon Ka Superman being one. But this time he aspires to be technically more sound and advanced. He needs to use Chroma (read Karoma) to shoot Superman flying. And you find yourself cheering for him when he succeeds in his attempt.

"What I do is known as editing," realizes Nasir after learning it from newspaper ads of Bollywood films. "Why do Bollywood films need so many people to make a single film? How do they connect themselves with the film which only the director visions?" Nasir reasons with passion. Yes, he does an entire film single-handedly. He's the cinematographer, editor and the director himself.

Farogh Jafri is their screenplay writer with his Urdu language and diction perfect (Believe me, I was stunned to see him ripping apart a pseudo journalist on his misuse of language, later the press screening). He had made a very strong and a clap-worthy point in this documentary: "Be it a film as grand as Titanic or as cheap as Malegaon Ka Superman, the real pain is suffered by the writer as he is the only one who lives with the characters. Only 20% of the writer's imagination finds way into the film, the rest 80% stays with him as a pain which no money can compensate." Mr. Jafri: RESPECT.

Like every film, Nasir says, this too has a hero (our superman Shafique), a villain (Akram Khan) and a heroine (Trupti). Where the villain wants to spread filth everywhere and wants every child to spit around, the match-stick thin Superman fights every odd, from bursting into a rickshaw to getting dragged into a gutter by the school bus, to save his heroine. Superman Shafique while shooting also does other odd jobs but aspire to make it as big as Amitabh Bachhan one day. Sad that he died the next day when Malegaon Ka Superman was screened. May his soul rest in peace.

Faiza Ahmad Khan's documentary delightfully portrays the parallel kind of film-making revolving around the shoot of Malegaon Ka Superman that is so engrossing that you'll forget that you are watching a documentary. And there you learn how ordinary looking men, working at hand-looms burns a fiery passion within themselves to earn a living and live their hobbies at the same time. Indeed, they are the Supermen of Malegaon.

Some stories entertain. Others educate. But then there are those rare stories that leave an imprint on the soul-stories that do not just pass through your mind, but settle in your heart and live there. The story in question is one such gem-a breathtakingly beautiful, deeply touching, and profoundly inspiring narrative that speaks to the very essence of what it means to be human.

From the very first sentence, this story wraps you in an emotional embrace. The prose is elegant yet accessible, crafted with a gentle precision that elevates every moment without ever feeling forced. It's the kind of writing that invites you to slow down and feel-each word chosen not just for meaning, but for resonance.

What truly sets this story apart is its emotional depth. The characters are not just figures on a page-they breathe, they hurt, they hope. Their struggles are authentic, their triumphs hard-won, and their growth gradual yet powerful. You find pieces of yourself in them, whether it's in their quiet doubts, their moments of courage, or their capacity for love in the face of loss.

The themes explored are universal-loss, resilience, forgiveness, and the enduring power of hope. Yet the story avoids clichés. Instead, it presents these themes with sincerity and nuance, often through small, everyday acts that carry great emotional weight. A whispered apology. A handwritten letter. A long-overdue embrace. These moments hit harder than any dramatic twist because they are so deeply real.

What makes the story truly inspiring is its message: that even in the darkest of times, light can find a way in. It doesn't offer a sugar-coated version of life. It acknowledges pain, grief, and failure. But it also reminds us that healing is possible, that redemption can be found, and that sometimes, the smallest act of kindness can change the course of someone's life.

The pacing is deliberate, allowing the reader to reflect and absorb the richness of each moment. The ending, when it arrives, is not just a resolution-it's a culmination of everything the story has quietly been building toward. It doesn't just satisfy; it uplifts.

In a world that often feels fractured and fast-paced, this story is a gentle reminder of the beauty that can be found in human connection, in persistence, and in the belief that we can be better-not perfect, but better. It's a story that you carry with you, one that encourages you to see the world-and yourself-with a little more compassion.

Final Verdict: 10/10.

A soul-stirring journey that stays with you long after the last page. Read it not just with your eyes, but with your heart.