Zoya Akhtar, Reema Kagti Talk Toronto-Bound ‘Superboys of Malegaon’

In a cinematic collision of high-profile talent and grassroots grit, powerhouse duo Reema Kagti and Zoya Akhtar are bringing the DIY spirit of India’s small-town filmmakers to the global stage with “Superboys of Malegaon” at the Toronto Film Festival.

Director Kagti and producer Akhtar’s latest film explores the world of low-budget filmmaking in Malegaon, a small town in Maharashtra, India. The duo have collaborated on several hit projects including “Dahaad,” “Made in Heaven” and “Gully Boy.”

“Superboys of Malegaon” is a fiction feature that reimagines the spirit of Malegaon’s passionate filmmakers who create their own versions of popular movies on shoestring budgets, including “Sholay,” “Shaan,” “Don,” “Lagaan” and “Rangeela.”

The film draws inspiration from the life of Nasir Sheikh, a resourceful DIY filmmaker from Malegaon, western India, whose innovative work was previously showcased in Faiza Ahmad Khan’s beloved 2008 documentary “Supermen of Malegaon.”

The project’s journey began when Akhtar encountered Sheikh at a film festival in 2010. “He told me that he’s ripped off all my father’s films, which I thought was super charming,” Akhtar recalls. Her father, Javed Akhtar, along with Salim Khan, formed the famed Salim-Javed duo who wrote 22 blockbusters including “Sholay,” “Shaan” and “Don.” This candid admission sparked a conversation about Sheikh’s life, leading Akhtar to recognize the cinematic potential in his story. “I was like, ‘Oh my God, your life is full-on.’ And he said, ‘You should make a film.’ It started from there,” she explains.

Following this serendipitous meeting, Akhtar and Kagti’s Tiger Baby Films acquired Sheikh’s life rights, initiating a development process that spanned several years. The project gained momentum when acclaimed writer Varun Grover (“All India Rank”) came on board to pen the screenplay.

Kagti says that “Superboys of Malegaon” delves deeper than its documentary predecessor: “The film covers much more of Nasir’s life, the genesis of his filmmaking, the catalysts of his filmmaking.”

The casting process led to the selection of “The White Tiger” star Adarsh Gourav for the lead role, with Shashank Arora (“Made in Heaven”) and Vineet Kumar Singh (“The Brawler”) rounding out the supporting cast. Kagti praises Gourav’s transformative performance: “He’s like a chameleon almost. He becomes the person. He starts talking like that person, and he starts behaving like that person. He never goes out of character once he gets into it.”

While the film celebrates Sheikh’s innovative approach to filmmaking with limited resources, Kagti sees broader, more universal themes at play: “I think it’s the fact that he had a dream. It was almost an impossible dream, and he was able to achieve it.” Akhtar highlights the film’s exploration of friendship and what she calls “the immortality of cinema,” noting how Sheikh’s work has preserved the memory of his friend Rafiq, who starred in “Yeh Hai Malegaon Ka Superman” before he passed away.

Akhtar also shares an anecdote about her father watching Sheikh’s adaptations of his films: “He absolutely loves Nasir. He loves his audacity and just loves the gumption.”

“Superboys of Malegaon” touches on themes of film literacy and the impact of piracy in India’s smaller towns. Kagti reflects on her own experiences growing up in the eastern Indian state of Assam: “I grew up watching pirated films. Back in those days, they used to shoot it off a Steenbeck [editing table]. I remember watching ‘Rangeela,’ and a fly kept coming and sitting on the Steenbeck screen, and a stick would come in and the guy would chase it away. That’s how I watched ‘Rangeela.’”

Looking ahead, Tiger Baby Films aims to continue developing stories from India’s diverse regions. Akhtar says, “We want to tell all kinds of stories in all kinds of formats and about all kinds of people.”

Sheikh continues to make films and will be attending the Toronto premiere.

“Superboys of Malegaon” is produced by Ritesh Sidhwani, Farhan Akhtar, Zoya Akhtar and Kagti under the banners of Excel Entertainment and Tiger Baby. It is scheduled for a theatrical release in January 2025, after which it will be available for streaming on Prime Video.