Along with Spiderman, we also have our very own desi Superman releasing this Friday. But what is this film?
Is it a documentary?
Is it a mockumentary?
All I can say is that it is a heart-warming tale of a village who worship their cinema.
Set in Malegaon, a few hundred kilometres from Mumbai, this is the story of Sheikh Nasir. The man loves movies & has been watching everything from Deewar to Abyss and used to run a video parlour.
He made a spoof on the iconic Sholay & the locals lapped it up, making it a rage in the village.
This time around, he has decided to take on Hollywoods favourite underwear wearing superhero, Superman & give him the Malegaon twist.
In an outrageously hilarious idea, he takes on the concept of pollution and tackles a social cause in his humorous venture.
The lead actor, portraying the iconic character is the skinny power-loom-worker, local boy Sheikh. He weighs in at barely 50kg and his excitement in bagging the role is worth watching.
The documentary shows us the making of the local Malegaon film, highlighting the heart, soul & sweat each individual puts in. The beauty is that even those who star in the smallest of roles are elated like its their swansong. The scenes with the chroma screen will have you in splits.
Their obsession with cinema is captured beautifully in a scene that shows the expensive Sanjay Dutt haircut as well as the Amitabh Bachchan kites.
Director Faiza Ahmed Khan captures all this through a very real lens, telling the story of hopes, dreams & aspirations. Short, sweet and enjoyable, she packs in a knockout punch in little over an hour.
The most unbelievable thing is that even in a small town in Malegaon, where he has barely Rs.50000 to make the movie; he gets in-film branding to cover costs. A truly remarkable scene that shows us the maturity of a new India.
Dont miss the last few minutes where the show the actual footage from the film. Its fun, its funny and it touches a chord.
To sum it up, if ever you felt something was impossible, go watch Supermen of Malegaon. It shows you the extent to which people go to achieve their dreams & it does all this by putting a smile on your face.
Share