‘Superboys of Malegaon’ premieres at TIFF

The film chronicles Nasir Shaikh’s real-life journey of turning his community into a filmmaking hub.

The stars of Superboys of Malegaon walk the TIFF red carpet with the subject of the film Nasir Shaikh (center). / Image - Amazon MGM studios

The world premiere of Indian-Hindi film ‘Superboys of Malegaon’ at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on Sept. 13, received a standing ovation from a global audience.

Directed by Reema Kagti, the film is based on the life of Nasir Shaikh, an amateur filmmaker from Malegaon, a small city in India, and explores his journey in creating no-budget films for his local community.

The premiere was attended by key members of the cast and crew, including director Kagti, lead actors Adarsh Gourav, Vineet Kumar Singh, and Shashank Arora, along with writer Varun Grover, producer Zoya Akhtar, and the film’s inspiration, Nasir Shaikh.

Distributed by Amazon MGM Studios, ‘Superboys of Malegaon’ stood out as one of TIFF’s notable Gala Presentations this year, with further anticipation building for its upcoming release.

“The Amazon MGM Studios film had its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival before a European premiere next month at the BFI London Film Festival. The film opens in early 2025 in India, and later North America,” Deadline noted, in its movie review, adding “this is that kind of special film that could well cross boundaries and succeed around the globe with its universal message of friendship and undeniable love of movies.”

Reviewing the film, Variety remarked, “Few films have been as adept at capturing why people still go to the movies.” The film, blending elements of drama and comedy, emphasizes the themes of passion, friendship, and perseverance.