Selfiee Movie Review: Akshay Kumar’s latest theatrical release “Selfiee” is a Bollywood adaptation of the Malayalam film “Driving Licence”. The film follows the story of superstar Vijay Kumar, played by Akshay, who needs a driving licence urgently to complete the climax of his film and save the producer from incurring losses. His diehard fan and RTO officer, Om Prakash Aggarwal, played by Emraan Hashmi, is given the task to help the actor, and he agrees to fulfil it without following the usual tedious process and asks for a selfie as a gesture in return. However, a misunderstanding leads to their feud becoming prime time news, and things spiral out of control.
Story:
The story of “Selfiee” is not a frame-by-frame copy of the original Malayalam film but has many lighter moments. The screenplay is engaging and doesn’t let you have too many dull moments. The film covers the emotional side of being a husband, a father, and balancing it all with their respective jobs. The narrative is not too far-fetched and is pretty convincing. The original story by Sachy has been written for the Hindi version by Rishabh Sharma, who tweaks it a bit to suit the Hindi audience’s palette.
Selfiee: Performances
Akshay Kumar gets as close as you could imagine to the superstardom he enjoys in real life. He bears a charming persona and swag and shows signs of gratitude for his fans despite being a self-made star. What stands out in “Selfiee” is Akshay’s tendency to take a joke on himself and laugh at it. Emraan Hashmi has a pleasant screen presence, though at places, he seemed a bit loud and over-the-top. But, maybe that’s how some diehard fans of superstars are. Among the supporting cast, Mahesh Thakur as Vijay’s manager delivers an earnest performance, Meghna Malik as politico Vimla Tiwari is on-point with her comic timing, and Abhimanyu Singh as Vijay’s contemporary is comic relief and hilarious in scenes, but for someone with his acting calibre, he is completely wasted in the script.
Selfiee Review: Is it watch worthy?
“Selfiee” is an entertaining Bollywood film that ticks most of the boxes that Hindi film audiences look for. The film has a strong and engaging storyline, and the performances of the lead actors are commendable. The film’s narrative is relatable and convincing, making it more real and appealing to audiences. While the film covers emotional angles, it still manages to balance it out with its humorous undertones.
The movie does have some flaws, such as sidelining the female characters, who have very little to do in the film. Diana Penty as Vijay’s wife exists in the script only because there needed to be an emotional arch to the script and that the superstar can use that track to deliver an emotional speech in the climax. Even her scenes with Akshay aren’t anything great or something that will make you sit and take notice of their chemistry. However, the film’s soundtrack is impressive, and the song “Kudiyee Ni Teri Vibe” where Akshay grooves with Mrunal Thakur sets the screen on fire.
Overall, “Selfiee” is a mass entertainer that can bring audiences back into theatres. If you are fine with Akshay Kumar continuing to do Hindi remakes of films from the South, you would definitely enjoy “Selfiee”, even if you have seen the original Malayalam film.