The film premiered at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival on 13 September 2024. It was theatrically released in India on 28 February 2025, and received positive reviews from critics.
In 1997, An aspiring filmmaker Nasir along with his friends Farogh, Shafique, Irfan, Akram made a film for his hometown, Malegaon. Farogh, as a writer, had written a storyline based on iconic movie Sholay and they named their film as Malegaon ke Sholay. The film became a big success. Afterwards Farogh wanted to make a film based on a Original storyline but due to Nasir's refusal he left the group and headed for Mumbai.
In 2004, while Nasir was praised for his direction, the other group members were not even known to public, also not paid. After an argument with Nasir, Irfan and Akram also left the group. Later on due to misguidance, Nasir faced disaster and halted making films and started a restaurant.
In 2010, when Shafique was diagnosed with Cancer and not responded with treatment, the group reunited and started to make a film Superman of Malegaon giving Shafique the leading role as Shafique's wish was to become a renowned actor. The film ended while Shafique was watching the film and broken out with tears whilst watching himself in the movie as Superman flying high on the sky, representing the Malegaon Superhero.
Superboys of Malegaon debuted on 13 September in the World Premieres section of the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival Gala program.[2][8] The film was released in cinemas on 28 February 2025.[9] It was made available to stream on Amazon Prime Video after its theatrical run.[10]
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 88% of 51 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.4/10.The website's consensus reads: "A tribute to classic films while being a very good one in itself, Superboys of Malegaon is a charming dramedy that will resonate with anyone who's ever been inspired to pick up a camera."[11]Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 71 out of 100, based on 8 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[12]
Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV gave 4 stars out of 5 and said that it is “Fuelled by measured performances that blend energy with restraint, the characters and the film are in reach for the sky, while staying firmly rooted to the ground".[13]Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express rated it 2.5/5 stars and commented that "The film brings Muslim characters back on our radar, breaking away from the tropes of evil terrorists and subservient sidekicks, and giving us those who own the story and drive the narrative."[14]Matt Zoller Seitz of Roger Ebert.com gave 3.5 stars out of 4 and observed that "It is One of the most accessible and entertaining movies about the creative urge that you’ll see."[15]Deepa Gahlot of Rediff.com gave 4 stars out of 5 and wrote in her review that "Superboys of Malegaon is a delight to watch".[16]
Rahul Desai of The Hollywood Reporter India wrote, "I’m happy — and relieved — to note that Superboys of Malegaon not only retains the essence of the story, it also expands the subtext of its telling. It’s the right kind of adaptation: a crowd-pleaser with a heart, a head and a rare cognizance of the world it arrives in. The cast is solid; the script is layered; the pitch is high but not deafening; the visual tone is neat without being (too) sanitize; the soundtrack is perceptive and diverse; the gaze rarely punches down; even its flaws are logical."[17] Rishabh Suri of Hindustan Times gave 4 stars out of 5 and said that "Reema Kagti's film is an ode to cinema peppered with nuanced performances and brilliant technical work."[18] Nandini Ramnath of Scroll.in observed that "Superboys of Malegaon is a perfectly sweet tribute to the power of cinema to inspire other kinds of cinema. While the movie does not go anywhere near Malegaon’s communally-riven history, every major character just happens to be Muslim – a staggering achievement by contemporary standards."[19]
Renuka Vyavahare of The Times of India gave 4.5 stars and said that "Superboys of Malegaon pays a resounding tribute to the oddballs who dream. You may call these people delusional, ambitious or foolhardy. They are all Avengers in their own way, wielding the superpower of resilience, and ability to smile through their pain."[20] Anuj Kumar off The Hindu wrote that "A strong ensemble, led by Adarsh Gourav, combined with writer Varun Grover’s earnest delineation of small-town cinematic ambitions, make Reema Kagti’s ‘Superboys of Malegaon’ an engaging character study of desi dream merchants"[21]
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