Tathastu Buddy
Selfiee is the latest Hindi-language comedy that has caught the attention of Bollywood fans. The film is a remake of the 2019 Malayalam-language comedy Driving License, which features famous actor Prithviraj Sukumaran (Hareendran) as the main protagonist. In the Hindi remake, Akshay Kumar takes on the lead role, with Emraan Hashmi joining him in the cast.
The plot of the movie revolves around the need for Prithviraj’s character to renew his driver’s license. Along the way, he runs into a fan at the motor vehicle agent, leading to a series of misunderstandings that cause many problems. The movie offers an opportunity to explore the meaning of fame in the age of social media, the nature of genuine stardom, the manipulation of media, and the pitfalls of petty egos.
Akshay Kumar, dressed in a sharp charcoal-coloured suit, plays the larger-than-life hero in the movie. He even does a piece-to-camera at the start, dedicating the film to his “fans.” While the movie explores the transience of fame and other themes, it does not overshadow its main character, Akshay Kumar.
The movie also features a third angle in the form of an actor who started out with Vijay but is now a nobody, doing ads for stuff like groin scratch cream. He reaches out to a tarot card reader in the hope of bringing Vijay down to his level. Meghna Malik plays a corporator seeking her 15 minutes of fame, wherever she can get it.
As the movie progresses, the fights between Vijay and Om get increasingly petty, and the two are reduced to children who need a good shaking down. Despite the ridiculousness of the situation, the movie offers a thought-provoking commentary on the obsession with selfies and the need to capture every moment.
Overall, Selfiee is an entertaining movie that offers a fresh take on the comedy genre. While it may not be as nice to its little man as it is to its big guy, the movie is still worth a watch for fans of Bollywood comedy. It is also interesting to see how the movie tackles themes such as the transience of fame and the meaning of stardom in the age of social media.
