'Selfiee' review: Akshay Kumar overshadows Emran Hashmi in decent comedy
What's the story
The year 2022 was not the year for Akshay Kumar. He delivered four back-to-back flops from Bachchhan Paandey to Raksha Bandhan. Come 2023, expectations were laid that Selfiee, which was released on Friday, might end his dry spell at the box office. However, despite Bollywood's Khiladi putting up a good show, Selfiee might not win the number game. Read our review here.
Plot
The ultimate fight between a superstar and his biggest fan
Om Prakash Agrawal (Emraan Hashmi), Bhopal RTO's sub-inspector, claims to be the biggest fan of superstar Vijay Kumar (Kumar). When Kumar comes to Bhopal for a film shoot, Agrawal has only one wish - a selfie of him and his son with Kumar. But when they do meet for a selfie, things go upside down which leads to chaos and a war of egos.
Hindi remake
A good remake of the Malayalam film
For the unversed, Selfiee is a remake of Prithviraj Sukumaran's 2019 Malayalam film Driving Licence. The original movie was a hit, and thankfully, Selfiee is also a well-done remake. The comedy-drama makes for a good family entertainer which rightly shows the love that fans have for actors, and how important fans are for the stars. Sukumaran has also backed the Hindi remake.
Acting
Kumar is the solo show-runner of 'Selfiee'
Kumar has played himself in the movie - a superstar with a humongous following, a producer's actor, and a family man. Yet, his character is fairly different from his real life. Given his last few projects, Selfiee is his best film so far where you see him in his element. His humor is, as usual, on point, and so is his acting.
Comparison
Hashmi delivers a decent performance
Hashmi has the innocence of a loving fan and a dotting father. Yet, Hashmi's performance is decent, largely because Kumar is impressive in the film. When the camera pans to a tearful Hashmi after Kumar calls him opportunistic, will touch your heart. But his failed attempt at the Bhopali accent is a complete turn-off. Clearly, his acting has been overshadowed by Kumar's performance.
Casting
A good but under-utilized supporting cast
One must credit director Raj Mehta for the stellar cast he chose for Selfiee. Nushrratt Bharuccha, Diana Penty, Mahesh Thakur, Meghna Malik, and Abhimanyu Singh form the supporting cast. While the actors did a brilliant job, Mehta couldn't utilize them well. The roles of Bharuccha, Malik, and Singh are particularly hilarious, but limited. Paritosh Tripathi and Kusha Kapila appear and disappear in between.
Verdict
If you like Kumar's comic timing, go watch it
Kumar's good old comedy is back! Selfiee will leave you in splits on multiple occasions. Its songs Sher and Main Khiladi Tu Anari are also a hit. What definitely hasn't worked is the ego tussle between the two leads which has been stretched too far, making it boring. Verdict: It gets 3 out of 5 stars, of which half a star is for Malik.