SUPERBOYS OF MALEGAON (2025, India)

February 28, 2025

Greetings again from the darkness. These are the kind of movies that it’s a pleasure to champion. Writer-director Reema Kagti and co-writer Varun Grover have produced a feel-good underdog story based on what a few folks actually accomplished in Malegaon, a small, poverty-stricken town in India. This inspirational true story opens in 1997 and is told in the Hindi language with subtitles.

Adarsh Gourav (THE WHITE TIGER, 2021) stars as Nasir, a videographer and photographer who uses his love of cinema to show Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton movies in the backroom of his brother’s shop. The size of his audience jumps when Nasir figures out how to use iconic scenes of those classic for comedy mash-ups to get people really laughing and enjoying themselves. As you might guess, video pirating was as frowned upon in 1997 as it is now, so after being forcefully shut down, Nasir had the bright idea to create his own parodies using local talent (aka friends).

The locals have a grand time working together, and those early auditions are a hoot. Their first production is a big hit! During this time, we see Nasir as a focused, dedicated filmmaker who leans heavily on Farogh (Vineet Kumar Singh) and Shafique (Shashank Arora), as well as some other friends. Farogh envisions himself as a serious writer … “The writer is the boss!” … and doesn’t buy into these silly parodies. Shafique is Nasir’s best friend, and he quietly dreams of becoming an actor while carrying out all of the tasks to make Nasir’s job a bit easier. Shafique is later part of a tender love story with the group’s lead actress (Manjiri Pupula). It’s also during this time that Nasir loses his girlfriend to a marriage arranged by her parents.

The story skips ahead to 2004, finding a backlash against Nasir from his friends who feel taken advantage of. He also experiences his first flop and himself becomes part of an arranged marriage (bride played by Muskkaan Jaferi), although he still carries a torch for his first love. The backlash appears to have exposed Nasir’s selfishness and clueless focus on film rather than people. Interestingly, there is an underlying theme of originality – what is it, and is it important in movies or not? It’s a question the industry still struggles with today.

Jumping to 2010, Shafique’s situation is the driving force behind friends reuniting and the most creative and personal movie project yet for Nasir. Much of the story revolves around chasing one’s dreams, the importance of friendship, and the urge to create art, specifically movies that entertain. The inspirational final act reminds us that everyone deserves to be a star at least once, and the value of friendship is priceless. There is a 2008 documentary titled SUPERMEN OF MALEGAON that focuses on the early days of filmmaking for these underdogs, and would be a nice complement to this film from Reema Kagti, whose end credits recap the real people portrayed in the story.

Opening in select theaters on February 28, 2025

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Posted by David Ferguson

THE WHITE TIGER (2021, India)

April 26, 2021

Greetings again from the darkness. Writer-director Ramin Bahrani (the excellent 99 HOMES, 2014) adapted Aravind Adiga’s 2008 novel, and for his efforts, he was awarded an Oscar nomination for adapted screenplay. The honor is justified thanks to the complexity of the story, though we are never sure if this is satire of, or insight and enlightenment into India’s caste system. Either way, it hooks us early and never lets go.

Adarsh Gourav stars as Balram, and the story is structured via his narration of his own life story as outlined in a letter he drafts to Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao prior to his official visit to India in 2010. The timeline stretches from Balram’s youth to the time of the letter, when he describes himself as a Bangalore entrepreneur who rose from poverty to being a self-made man. We are there when Balram overhears the local powerbroker known as The Stork (Mahesh Manjrekar) mention that the family needs a second driver. The ambitious Balram borrows money from Granny (Kamlesh Gill) for driving lessons, and soon he’s at the gate talking his way into the job.

Balram is hired as the driver for The Stork’s son, Ashok (Rajkummar Rao) who has returned from his time in the U.S. with an American woman, Pinky (Priyanka Chopra Jonas) by his side. It’s bizarre to see Balram’s eager-to-please ways contrast with the western approach Ashok and Pinky apply. Whereas servants are usually treated poorly, mixed messages are received by Balram, who ends up sleeping in a parking garage storage room while his masters luxuriate in a Delhi penthouse.

A tragic event occurs leaving Balram betrayed by the family to which he’s displayed nothing but loyalty. The film even takes a wicked shot at the Oscar winning SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE (2008), although the films do share some common themes. This film follows the plight of a servant, and takes a particularly close look at the ‘haves’ and the ‘have-nots’. Just how far can one be pushed before standing up or fighting back. Since the film starts where the story ends, we are prepared for the path, though the actual steps are stunning.

Filmmaker Bahrani floats dark comedic undertones, though it’s never really funny – in fact, most of the story is quite serious. Mr. Gourav excels in the lead role as he explains India’s social structure through big belly vs small belly. His journey takes him through multiple personality shifts – the poor villager busting rocks, the eager to impress new servant, the insightful young man who learns a harsh lesson, and finally, the “self-made” man, confident in his abilities and able to overlook his own actions that got him there.

available on Netflix

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Posted by David Ferguson