Movie buffs in awe of Malegaon's films on a shoestring. (Mall Today 19 January 2011)

" That was when Mollywood -- or the Malegaon film industry, as the locals love to call it -- was born. Malegaon Ke Sholay starred the local people, who played various characters in the film. It was shot on VHS (Video Home System) A half-inch, analog videocassette recorder (VCR) format introduced by JVC in 1976 to compete with Sony's Betamax, introduced a year earlier. and I edited the film on VCRs," Nasir says. Nasir made Malegaon Ke Sholay as a video film that he screened in his shop. But the success of that first film started a new trend. A few years later, when Nasir launched Malegaon Ki Shaan, his crew mostly comprised local weavers. That film, however, got a proper theatrical release. " I learnt about filmmaking, camera movement and direction largely by watching English flicks in my parlour," says Nasir, whose latest film Malegaon Ka Superman was made on a budget of ` 1 lakh. This is Nasir's costliest film till date. Malegaon Ka Superman was screened four times at the Osian Cinefan film festival in Delhi and also at the International Film Festival of India in Goa. A Mumbai- based short filmmaker has even made a documentary on Nasir's movie. The Making of Malegaon Ka Superman has been screened in Japan and the US. " I want to release Malegaon Ka Superman commercially all over India. It is a message- based film, where Superman fights against the gutkha menace. The film also promotes the pulse- polio polio: see poliomyelitis. drive," Nasir says. Nasir has already garnered a loyal fan base that eagerly awaits the next film in the Malegaon series. He has also inspired half- a- dozen budding filmmakers in his town. They are following Nasir's blueprint of making lowbudget films for the local audience. Television is also capitalising on Nasir's growing popularity. These days, he is busy directing a silent comedy serial, Malegaon Ka Chintu, which is already on air.