Indian cinema turns 100 this year. And there’s a great film currently playing in the theatres which celebrates this magic of cinema. It’s a small film which you might not have heard about because it has no ads on tv, no chartbuster songs on radio and no hoardings to boast about. The film is Supermen Of Malegaon (SoM). And indian cinema can’t get a better homage than this documentary made by Faiza Ahmad Khan.
The film has been doing the festival rounds since last few years. But good or bad, we don’t watch docus in theatres. We don’t even release them to give it a chance. Thanks to PVR Directors Rare, SoM has got a limited release across few PVR properties. Make sure you watch it. And if you have any doubts, we are giving you not one or two, but 50 reasons to watch it. And since “crowd-funding” for indie films is in vogue these days, we crowd-funded this post to go with the same spirit.
Do watch and do contribute your reason in the comments section. Will start with mine.
1. Because Vijay and Ravi can finally move on. Mere paas ma nahi, cinema hai! It has one of the best, unrehearsed and unscripted scene between two brothers – one consumed by the addiction called cinema and the other……well, watch it. Poignant.
2. If you watch or love or make cinema and you miss SoM in theatres, you’d miss the cinema equivalent of finding the G-spot – @varungrover
3. Because 1hr of supermen of malegaon is more fun than 2hrs of Spiderman – @ronyd
4. Because even Brando would be appreciative of Jor-El and the ‘method’ here – @krnx
5. Because it blurs the line between fiction & docu. It was more entertaining than a commercial Hindi feature – @ghaywan
6. Because SoM doesn’t sell itself on sympathy like the recent “indie” filmmaking fad – @auteurmark
7. Because these people have not collaborated on the film : Samir, Sajid, Bhansali, Shetty, Bellary, Ekta, RGV, Bhatts, Kohlis, Kapoors – @mihirfadnavis
8. Because it’s a better (hate the term but…) Love Letter to Cinema than ‘The Artist’ or ‘Hugo’ could ever be… @jahanbakshi
9. You’ll laugh a lot, being fully aware that there’s a lot of grimness in the tale as well. Its a unique feeling @RangbadluGirgit
10. ‘Pairon ki bediyaa khwabo ko bandhe nahi re..’ Madhyam ki garibi sabse badi prerna kaise banti hai @koripaati
11. See Pic
12. Why else do we watch films ? To get entertained ! And entertained you shall be !! – @z_maahir
13. Location is not Switzerland and the lead would not look like a million bucks even with plastic surgeries STILL SoM is Beautiful – @humHeroine
14. Superman with a 24″ waist. A costume that involves rubber chappals. A film that is inspired and inspiring – @ashish_mehta_
15. Because it celebrates the simple human notion that if you are passionate about something then no one can stop you. There is always a way around. Always. Equipments, technology, know-how, resources etc just don’t matter. As long as you want it badly enough – @ghantaguy
16. You should watch SOM because it will make you pick up a camera and shoot – @varunvarghese
17. Bolchaal mein itne achhey Urdu shabd bahut dinon baad sun-ne ko miley – Rakhi (on FB)
18. That cinema by all other names would still be magical! – Suhel Banerjee (on FB)
19. Kyuki bhai ise ‘naa dekhne ka’ ek bhi reason nahi hai ! Puneet Sharma (on FB)
20. Which was the last film you saw that you wished you could see more of? – @gyandeep4a
21. For one poem Chand. Just that is worth the ticket money – @shubhas
22. Because it gets over in about an hour and you won’t get bored. Forget all the irony and the film about a film business blah blah – Swati Trivedi
23. Kyuki aisi filme dekhkar khud se ye sawaal poochhne ka man karta hai…. Ab to bahana banaane chhod de, ja aur kuch man ka bana !!!! Puneet Sharma (on FB)
24. It makes us feel that good filmmakers still exist. Faisal Numan (FB)
25. See pic
26. The one reason that counts – it is paisaa vasool – Vinay Jain (FB)
27. Simple. Because its one of the best films you will see this year – Anant Raina (FB)
28. Because it makes you smile. The passion for Cinema in India is equivalent to religion. This 60 minute beauty inspires everyone to do something even if you cannot afford it – Abhinav Bhatt (on FB)
29. kyonki yehi Cine-Maa hai!! – Nitin Baid (FB)
30. “Life is full of sorrow, so it is very important to dream. No one should ever stop dreaming,” says the narrator of #Supermen of Malegaon, the funniest, sweetest movie I have seen in a long time. The writer in the movie says things like “Most of the films you see is only 20% output. Imagine being a writer and having to live with 80% of the angst. It’s hard. But it doesn’t stop you.” In an age of multi-crore promotion budgets for glitz, here is an honest movie with a soul, a story of dreams and passion, a movie that you won’t see ads and promos of, as they have no money for them. It’s playing at PVR Juhu at 6.20 pm. I am going back for the lines. Who is coming? – Lalita Iyer (FB)
31. Because tragedy brings out the best comedy – @ronyd
32. Because it completes the Unique distinction of having watched Superman, Spiderman and Batman in the same year – @nitinnair81
33. Because its a RICH film made by POOR people which you get to see in a POSH theater for CHEAP price. Rs 110. Pvr Juhu. 6.20pm – @navjotalive
34. Because despite it being a documentary avoids all the docu cliches and still becomes accessible for just about every man jack who likes movies – @mihirfadnavis
35. See pic
36. Have you ever seen a superman wearing naadewala kachha and slippers, and ppl wiping their face with his red cape? @thepuccacritic
37. Because, in fact more than Hazanavicius’ film, Supermen Of Malegaon could actually be called ‘The Artist’ and *earn* that title – @jahanbakshi
38. As a filmmaker, it made me want to get out and start shooting my first. Thoroughly inspiring! @ghaywan
39. Not everyday you see a film where the hero is flying on one hand and paddling on a float in the river the next min @HumHeroine
40. FUN ke beyond, sach aur jhoot se pare , ek khula maidan hai.. Superman Of Malegaon tumhe waha milega @AmritaThavrani
41. Well, one reason is definitely that writer, Farokh. He had more personality than half the film industry combined – @pradeep_smenon
42. Because it really does take supermen only to make films – Malhar Salil (on FB)
43. Because if you believe in your dreams, it can happen. Passion for cinema = SoM = Simply Superb!! – Himanshu Vora
44. Without a VO, the film is spoken from the residents’ pov which makes it experiential than being a hawk eyed narrative – @ghaywan
45. Because some guy in a small town made his film Undaunted by BO, ratings, festivals,100crs or twitter trends. And that’s rare – Vasan Bala
46. Because it’s the best rated film of the year. See pic
47. The writter in Supermen ka Malegaon, Hamid Faroghi – Kya bhaari awaaz aur kya personality, jab bhi koi baat kehte the toh har baat me ek gehri baat hoti thi! – Yogesh Dube (on FB)
48. It just made me extremely happy and uplifted. Not even hint of manipulation, morality or design. They just let it be..the protagonists just do their thing only because they love doing it, not to prove anything. Only complain was it ended too soon – Apan Singhal
49. Because it celebrates that aspect of a film which most of the people have just a surface-level idea of – filmmaking itself. – Gyandeep Pattnayak (on FB)
And here’s the most important reason…
50. To support PVR director’s Rare so that it can continue to bring more such quality cinema to you – @ShiladityaBora
So what’s your reason for not watching it?
The documentary film “Fire In Babylon” will have a theatrical release in India on 21st of Sept, 2012. It will be released under PVR Director’s Rare series.
F.i.g.h.t C.l.u.b 