Two families in two smaller parts of the country welcomed a boy and a girl. The girl, the second of three sisters, was born to chemical engineer, Jitamrit Kagti and teacher, Purobi Kagti. Her father, an IIT-Bombay graduate, left his job at a refinery in Digboi, Assam, to start a tea plantation and poultry farm in Borhapjan, a village known for its paddy fields and tea estates in Tinsukia district, eastern Assam. The tranquil village life and the scenic tea plantations sparked the girl’s imagination at a young age. She immersed herself in reading Enid Blyton and other children’s classics, which led her to write short stories and plays. Eventually, she made her way to Bombay and now works as a writer, producer and director, and is a formidable force in Bollywood.
The boy was born in Malegaon, a small town in central India, affected by communal tensions and economic hardships. He grew up, surrounded by people who worked day jobs, to make ends meet but spent their free time dreaming of making films, which influenced his unwavering passion for cinema. He aspired to create films that were handmade, produced on low budgets and focused on local themes and ideas that were just reveries.
These two individuals are filmmakers Reema Kagti and Nasir Shaikh. Reema has worked on a film that portrays Nasir’s filmmaking journey. After spending a decade with Nasir, Reema and her creative partner at Tiger Baby, Zoya Akhtar, were compelled to bring his story to the masses. We were able to catch the writer-director Reema Kagti, who gave us wonderful insights into the film that releases this month.
Nasir’s life was part of a documentary called Supermen of Malegaon made back in 2008. We’ve heard about people adapting books into stories for the screen. But what was the process of adapting a character from a documentary?
We took the life rights of Nasir, who is the protagonist in Malegaon ka Superman and we went back to the drawing table. We onboarded a whole lot of other people in the story and looked at this as a ten year life story of Nasir Shaikh, the director.
What was it like to make a film about making films?
I had an incredible time making the film. It was such a multi-layered experience. One of the layers that really stood out to me was the influence of Nasir and how it resonated with me. It’s fascinating how our influences align, especially given that we’re in the same age group. To me, Superboys of Malegaon is a homage to filmmaking and the Hindi film industry as a whole. It’s a way of paying respect to the audience that makes the industry thrive, particularly those in smaller towns who live vicariously through cinema. They’re an integral part of the industry, and we have recognised their importance in the layers of the film. There’s so much depth to Superboys of Malegaon and that’s what drew me in.
In both Gully Boy and Superboys of Malegaon, there’s a common theme of Muslim boys striving to break through with art. Do you find a particular reason why you are drawn to these kinds of stories?
I didn’t make that connection until you pointed it out to me. Gully Boy was a fictional take inspired by a lot of rappers in Bombay that Zoya and I hung out with, while researching the film, mainly Divine and Maisie. We zeroed in on Murad as a character not because he was Muslim but because he was from the wrong side of the tracks and had a personal struggle that fit into our story. This time, Nasir is Muslim and it’s naturally a part of the story. We didn’t devise that.
Because it’s a biopic, did you have any kind of pushback in terms of being asked to lose details you cared about or soften it?
Nasir has been an absolute delight to work with. I am genuinely thankful to him for entrusting us with the rights to his life story. The entire process has taken almost a decade, as Nasir and Zoya first began discussing it nearly ten years ago. Despite receiving numerous offers from others, Nasir always believed that Zoya was the ideal person to lead this project. I am incredibly grateful to him for never giving up on us.
Nasir is a meticulous archivist of his own life, preserving photos and information that have been invaluable to Varun Grover in crafting the story. If I had to describe Nasir in one word, it would be ‘jugaadu’, a term that captures his resourcefulness and creativity. This quality enabled him to create something truly unique.
The end result is a captivating story that delves into the world of underground filmmaking, distribution and exhibition through video parlours and films. It’s not just a tale of love for cinema but also a celebration of the Indian jugaadu spirit. The film is a testament to friendship, resilience and the pursuit of a dream against all odds.
I also find parallels between Nasir’s work in Malegaon and my filmmaking in Bombay. There’s a shared passion and dedication that resonates deeply with me. Even after a decade, the story has been with us for all these years, growing and evolving into something truly extraordinary.
When you’re working on projects that take a long time, do you find it difficult to detach yourself from the story?
I mean, this one just took longer than average. And it took that much time because we spent a long time working on it. By the time Varun joined us, we got stuck due to the impact of the pandemic on the world.
This film took an unusually long time. But for most films, the minimum time for a writer-director is two years, sometimes even two and a half or three years. So, I think that’s true for all films.
For me, I have to have a very strong connection to the material. Otherwise, I don’t know how to sustain myself for two years.
What is it about cinema according to you that brings people together?
I believe that filmmaking is an extension of storytelling, which is deeply ingrained in human nature. Throughout history, storytelling has been a fundamental way for us to think, learn and communicate and it has evolved alongside humanity. One important aspect of filmmaking is its abil- ity to evoke emotions and connect people. When a large audience gathers in a dark theatre to watch a film, they share a collective, immersive experience. Additionally, filmmaking has historically provided a form of entertain- ment that is accessible to everyone, even during difficult times like the Great Depression.
In my own experience, making films has been humbling. I come from a small town and now live in Bombay. The film has allowed me to connect with diverse communities and appreciate the simple yet profound love for filmmaking that drives many creators. Returning to small towns for filming has been particularly grounding for me, reminding me of the importance of staying connected to my roots. Overall, I believe that the existence of films and the process of making them are deeply rooted in human culture and continue to hold great significance.
We have to talk about the young cast you put together for the film.They’reallsofreshandtalented. I was really happy with the cast. Each one of them has been outstanding and it’s been tremendous working with them and learning from them. Just a great experience
overall. Initially, we did readings after everyone was cast and sometimes even for the casting. Since we had cast Adarsh first, he was sometimes part of the initial readings. After the cast was finalised, we did some more read- ings. Then we organised a workshop with Atul Mongia, where everyone got to know each other, broke barriers and got comfortable enough to try things without feeling self-conscious. Atul is very good at this kind of thing.
We also provided diction coaching for the actors. One of the characters in the film, Alim, is a friend of Nasir’s, who acted in the film and also invested in it. He currently lives in Bombay, so we brought him on board to work with the actors on dialect and other aspects.
What else is on the cards right now?
We’re currently working on a docu-series with Amazon called In Transit, which will be released by the end of the year. It’s directed by Ayesha Sood and focuses on the transgender community in India. After that, we’ll be back to the writing board, developing scripts for Zoya and me to direct. We’re also working on a project with Arjun Singh, who directed Kho Gaye Hum Kahan.
Zoya has been such an integral part of your career, like how you have been for her's. Before we close this, can you talk a little about what you have learnt about each other through this journey?
Oh God, much more than either of us would like, I’m sure. But I really appreciate the fact that I found a writing partner quite organically. We never planned it. We were just friends and we kind of started writing together and then it worked. So, we wrote a couple more scripts and then after that we started Tiger Baby Productions, which just seemed the organic next step. I’m really happy to have a collaborator like her. I’m grateful for the partnership because I think that we both, like you said, kind of benefitted and shaped our careers around it. Zoya and Excel. We still co-produce a lot with Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar. And amazing partners like Amazon.
Words Hansika Lohani
Date 01.03.2025