The dire state of writers reflects in the films we are making

Reema Kagti, along with writer Varun Grover and filmmaker Nasir Shaikh, discuss the making of Superboys of Malegaon, the real-life story behind the film, and the condition of writers in the Hindi film industry

- KARTIK BHARDWAJ

ALEGAON is a fascinating city, fascinated with cinema. Situated at a distance of 280 kilometres from Mumbai, the dreams of its residents travel even further. In Superboys of Malegaon, the city's people, most of them employed in the cloth manufacturing industry, after the day's toil, rush to the dark of the theatre, finding both joy and solace in the bright lights of the big screen. What's playing can be either a bhai or a Buster Keaton film. The city is also home to a fledgling film industry, pioneered by Nasir Shaikh, who, along with his friends, gave a local spin to films like Sholay (Malegaon Ke Sholay) and Superman (Yeh Hai Malegaon Ka Superman). Malegaon and its moviemakers were the subject of the 2008 documentary Supermen of Malegaon by Faiza Ahmad Khan. Now, with Superboys of Malegaon, director Reema Kagti and writer Varun Grover delve into their story with a mix of fact and fiction.