EXCLUSIVE: Vineet Kumar Singh STUNNED with the response to Superboys Of Malegaon at TIFF: “2600 people saw the film; they were crying in the end”; also says “Mukkabaaz ki RE-RELEASE bahut bada fark daal sakti hai”

By Fenil Seta -

October 8, 2024 - 11:19 AM IST

In September, Vineet Kumar Singh had the time of his life as he attended the 49th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), where his acclaimed film Superboys Of Malegaon was screened to more than 2000 excited patrons. Bollywood Hungama exclusively spoke to Vineet Kumar Singh about his experience, his journey and a lot more.

EXCLUSIVE: Vineet Kumar Singh STUNNED with the response to Superboys Of Malegaon at TIFF: “2600 people saw the film; they were crying in the end”; also says “Mukkabaaz ki RE-RELEASE bahut bada fark daal sakti hai”

How was your experience at TIFF?
It was amazing and very memorable. When the international audience loves and celebrates your work, it is special. Moreover, TIFF is one of the most important film festivals. The capacity of the theatre, where it was screened, was not 200 or 500 or 1000 but 2600! So, you can imagine the experience. People were so happy and some were crying when the film ended.

This is the second time you are working with Reema Kagti. How’s it working with her?
I have worked with her before in Gold (2018) which was an amazing experience. She’s also a writer and her understanding of characters is very deep. When you work with such a talented writer-director, it becomes easy for an actor. We had formed a bond; we were also supposed to work in Dahaad as well. Sadly, due to date issues, I couldn’t be a part of it. But when Superboys Of Malegaon was offered to me, I immediately went to meet the casting directors and Reema. I just read a scene and she said ‘Done’ (she locked him for the part). She had that trust. As an actor, our work belongs to emotions. Hence, you tend to be very vulnerable and transparent. When a director trusts you so well, it is easy to give your best shot.

Tell us about your role…
I play Farogh Jafri. Unfortunately, I never met him though I saw his interviews to prep for the part. He’s no more but log aaj bhi uske baare mein baat karte hai. We shot in and around Nashik, which is not far from Malegaon. Many Malegaon residents visited the sets and spoke to me about Farogh. He was quite an interesting person and very transparent. Whatever he used to feel, he would express it. This makes his character interesting. I was told that there was an episode where everyone was silent but Farogh bhai took a stand for someone he didn’t even know personally!

In India, we have heard of the Malegaon film industry. But how did the patrons at TIFF react to the film? Were they surprised that such a film industry existed in our country?
Yes. Interestingly, journalists from America or other countries saw the film from a different lens. They applauded the community aspect of the film; I never read the script from that perspective. These superboys of Malegaon didn’t know how films are made. But they all helped each other. Filmmaking is not easy. Log shootingdekh ke bore ho jaate hai! You can work for 12-13 hours for a couple of days. But if you are doing this for many days, you’ll do it only if you are passionate about it. Hence, these Malegaon film people didn’t think that ‘iska output kya hoga’. They just came together for a reason. All this is possible only when you have community support. The actors, technicians, writers etc. were all from Malegaon. If you and your friends decide to make a film, toh poora mohalla hasega aap pe. Yet, these people did it and the whole town came to support them. This aspect astonished moviegoers at TIFF. They were like ‘Aisa bhi ho sakta hai kya?’. Main witness kar ke aa raha hoon yeh.

Are you happy that such an important film is releasing in cinemas and not premiering directly on digital?
Indeed. Cinema is a place where people of all strata of society come together. When tickets were not so expensive, cinema used to be a unifier. Behind you, there might be a rickshaw puller. Ahead, there might be a rich merchant watching the film with his friends or family. Is there any other such place where this is possible, where people willingly pay to get such an experience?

You have a great body of work. But do you feel that you didn’t get your due? You did a hard-hitting film Siya (2022) but when it doesn’t get the desired reception, how does it feel?
For certain films, you know from the start that it’s not made keeping the box office in mind. There are scripts which talk about important issues and deserve to be told. Cinema is a powerful medium and can help communicate these issues to a large number of people. It is disheartening when the audience fails to turn up to watch the film or if it doesn’t get the desired box office numbers. Isse mera nuksaan nahin hota. But there are similar important scripts which were in the process of getting made or have reached the producers’ table. When such a film doesn’t work, woh script producers ke table pe hi dum tod deti hai. As a result, it’ll not reach the audience for many years. I’ll move on and work on other films.

Also, when a film like Parasite (2019) is made, it is widely consumed by the audience in India. But when a well-made Indian film, mirroring our society, fails to get an audience, many such films will not be made. But if such films succeed, many more such films will be attempted. Nevertheless, I’ll continue to work on such movies. At the same time, I am also working on big-scale films. Many used to complain that ‘Aap aisi filmein kyun nahin karte?’!

I believe you are a part of Chhava…
Yes, that’s correct. I am also working with Pushpa makers, Mythri Movie Makers, for a film starring Sunny Deol.

Recently Tumbbad re-released and has become a huge success…
Just yesterday, I spoke to Sohum Shah. I am very happy for him.

Do you think your 2018 film Mukkabaaz should also be brought back to cinemas? Maybe, this time, it can reach a larger audience…
Thank you ki aap aisa sochte ho. Main bhi aisa sochta hoon (smiles). Mukkabaaz has connected with the people. However, re-releasing for the heck of it on limited screens is not a good idea. But if it is re-released with a lot of thought, then it can work wonders. A lot of people told me, ‘Mukkabaaz didn’t release in our town. We didn’t know when it came’. Hence, I feel Mukkabaaz ki re-release bahut bada fark daal sakti hai.

Any update on your film Aadhar? It’s a lovely film and sad to see it hasn't been released yet. Luckily, the film doesn’t seem dated and can be released in 2024 without any issues on that front…
Yes, it’s true that its subject is very relevant. The film is beautiful and shot in beautiful remote locations of Jharkhand. I am hopeful and I am not someone who gives up easily. Someday, God-willing, the film will be released. There are some issues but it’s nothing that can’t be resolved.

Also Read: Ahead of Superboys of Malegaon premiere at TIFF, Adarsh Gourav and Vineet Kumar Singh express their thoughts: “Thrilled to see the film being recognized”