Bollywood Meets B-Movies: Reema Kagti and Zoya Akhtar Bring Small-Town India’s Big-Screen Dreams to Toronto with ‘Superboys of Malegaon’
variety.comNaman Ramachandran 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.
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