Selfiee
| Selfiee | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Raj Mehta |
| Written by | Rishabh Sharma |
| Story by | Sachy |
| Based on | Driving Licence by Lal Jr. |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Rajeev Ravi |
| Edited by | Ritesh Soni |
| Music by | Songs: Anu Malik Tanishk Bagchi Yo Yo Honey Singh The PropheC Lijo George-DJ Chetas Vikram Montrose Aditya Yadav Tarun Background Score: John Stewart Eduri |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Star Studios |
Release date |
|
Running time | 148 minutes[1] |
| Country | India |
| Language | Hindi |
| Budget | est. ₹100 crore [2] |
| Box office | ₹23.63 crore[3] |
Selfiee is a 2023 Indian Hindi-language comedy-drama film directed by Raj Mehta and produced by Star Studios, Dharma Productions, Magic Frames, Prithviraj Productions and Cape of Good Films. The film stars Akshay Kumar and Emraan Hashmi.[4][5]
A remake of the 2019 Malayalam film, Driving Licence, the film revolves around a rivalry between an RTO Inspector and a prominent actor. The film was officially announced in January 2022, while principal photography commenced in March 2022. It was theatrically released on 24 February 2023.[6] The film received mixed reviews from critics, and became a huge box-office bomb, earning only ₹23.63 crore (US$2.8 million) worldwide.[7]
Plot
[edit]Om Prakash Aggarwal, a Motor Vehicle Inspector (MVI) based in Bhopal, is a passionate fan of film actor Vijay Kumar. Vijay is preparing to leave for the United States with his wife Naina to be present while the surrogate delivers their baby, delaying the filming of his next film "Falak Tak", which already incurred a budget overrun. With the climax still remaining to be shot at an Indian Navy leased land, the crew learns that Vijay's driving licence, that needs to be submitted to get clearance, is missing. The producer is outraged as the film has to be wrapped as soon as possible. Due to a clerical error while shifting between RTO buildings, Vijay cannot apply for a duplicate licence as issuing a new licence would take time. Hence, Vijay's politician friend meets Om for speeding the procedure. Om agrees to issue licence illicitly without Vijay even attending the test. In return, he summons Vijay to the RTO to meet him in person and as proof in case of an inquiry.
Meanwhile, Vijay's professional rival Suraj Diwan is plotting to suppress competition from Vijay by means of occult. Even though he realises going to the RTO might give away clues for his visit, Vijay hesitatingly agrees, hoping that an unadvertised visit calls for less visibility. On his arrival, he sees TV channels surrounding the premises; amidst this, local corporator Vimla Tiwari gives away misinformation to a reporter that Vijay, an avid driver, has been driving without a licence. The news spreads, and an infuriated Vijay scolds Om in front of his son and superiors for the leak and leaves. Angered, Om informs the reporters that Vijay was arrogant and wanted a license without going through the normal procedures. Vijay's reputation has been severely damaged and to worsen the situation, Suraj's fandom community head organises a hit-and-run attack on Om. He also has masked gang cast stones at his house and Om's son suffers a head injury, which leads Om to believe that Vijay's men were behind this.
Meanwhile, Vijay reluctantly cancels his US trip on the producer's insistence. While rushing his son to the hospital, a frustrated Vijay calls Om by phone and threatens him, which affirms Om's conviction. On police inquiry, Om and his wife Minty accuse Vijay, but Vijay is not charged as his involvement was inconclusive. Protesting it, Om and his family perform Satyagraha in front of Vijay's residence, where media and fans also assemble. Addressing the media, Vijay states that Om is a crazy fan and a kind of stalker who finds gratification by being a part in his idol's life through disruption. He shows Om's fan messages as evidence and announces that he has decided to attend the test in the supervision of Om. Vijay gets permission for an open test, which can be viewed by media and can be telecast live; the computer-based test is instead replaced with a direct question-answer session with Om. Om asks difficult and unusual questions, though Vijay ultimately manages to pass the learner's test. During this time, Suraj's involvement becomes known to Vijay's fellow actress, who discreetly records his confession, seeking to share it with Vijay.
Om's son is bullied by Vijay's fan-boys in school. With that, Om decides not to send him to school until Vijay has failed and is determined to fail him using maximum discretion. Meanwhile, Naina requires a surgery, and a flight is charted to reach there as soon as the test is completed. On the practical assessment day, Vijay smoothly completes the "H test", but Om fails him pointing petty mistakes. The decision is overruled by his superior, who passes Vijay. Om makes Vijay wait until noon for the follow-up "road test". At noon, he postpones the test by two days, which happens to be the day of Naina's surgery. Vijay announces to the onlooking fans and media that he is forfeiting driving forever because Om has totally misused his power and he will retire from both acting and driving if this disrupts his life further. Enraged, the fans begin lynching Om, but Vijay saves him and flees from the place.
While en route, they clear the misunderstandings. Om reveals that Vijay's licence was in the gift box which was thrown earlier by Vijay in RTO office. Vijay brings Om and his family to his house, where he scolds Suraj and Vimla for their mistakes. Two days later, before leaving for the airport, Vijay interacts with the press about their reconciliation and tells that he has received his driving licence. Vijay then drives off in his car to the airport.
Cast
[edit]- Akshay Kumar as Superstar Vijay Kumar
- Emraan Hashmi as RTO Inspector Om Prakash Aggarwal
- Nushrratt Bharuccha as Minty Aggarwal, Om's wife
- Diana Penty as Naina Kumar, Vijay's wife
- Mahesh Thakur as Naveen
- Meghna Malik as Corporator Vimla Tiwari
- Abhimanyu Singh as Suraj Diwan
- Adah Sharma as Meera
- Kusha Kapila as Tara
- Jacqueline Fernandez as dancer in song "Deewane" (special appearance)
- Mrunal Thakur as dancer in song "Kudiyee Ni Teri" (special appearance)
- Yo Yo Honey Singh as himself in song "Kudi Chamkili" (special appearance)
Production
[edit]The film was announced in January 2022 with a motion poster by Dharma Productions.[8] Principal photography commenced in March 2022 in Mumbai and wrapped up in December 2022.[9][10]
Music
[edit]The music of the film is composed by Anu Malik, Tanishk Bagchi, Yo Yo Honey Singh, The PropheC, Lijo George-DJ Chetas, Vikram Montrose, Aditya Yadav and Tarun. The first song, "Main Khiladi" was released on 1 February 2023. It is the remixed version of the title song from the 1994 blockbuster, Main Khiladi Tu Anari.[11] The second single titled "Kudiyee Ni Teri" was released on 9 February 2023.[12] The third single titled "Kudi Chamkeeli" was released on 19 February 2023.[13]
Soundtrack
[edit]| Selfiee | |
|---|---|
| Soundtrack album by Tanishk Bagchi, Anu Malik, Yo Yo Honey Singh, The PropheC, Vikram Montrose, Lijo George-DJ Chetas, Aditya Yadav & Tarun | |
| Released | 2023 |
| Recorded | 2022–2023 |
| Genre | Feature film soundtrack |
| Length | TBA |
| Label | Play DMF |
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Main Khiladi" | Maya Govind | Anu Malik, Tanishk Bagchi | Udit Narayan, Abhijeet Bhattacharya | 3:07 |
| 2. | "Kudiyee Ni Teri" | The PropheC Tanishk Bagchi | Tanishk Bagchi, The PropheC | The PropheC, Zahrah S Khan | 3:39 |
| 3. | "Kudi Chamkeeli" | Yo Yo Honey Singh | Yo Yo Honey Singh | Yo Yo Honey Singh | 4:07 |
| 4. | "Selfiee Title Song" | Shabbir Ahmed, Azeem Dayani | Lijo George-DJ Chetas | Nakash Aziz, Akasa Singh, Nikhita Gandhi, Lijo George-DJ Chetas | 3:34 |
| 5. | "Sher" | Abhinav Shekhar | Vikram Montrose | MC Square | 2:36 |
| 6. | "Selfiee Theme" | Lijo George | Nakash Aziz | 0:57 | |
| 7. | "Selfiee (Aggressive Theme)" | Tanishk Bagchi | 2:03 | ||
| 8. | "Vaar" | Vikram Montrose | Abhinav Shekhar, Ali Aslam Shah | 2:51 | |
| 9. | "Deewane" | Kunaal Vermaa | Tanishk Bagchi | Aditya Yadav, Stebin Ben | 3:57 |
| Total length: | 26:51 | ||||
Release
[edit]At a promotional event for the film, Akshay Kumar clicked 184 selfies with fans in three minutes, breaking the Guinness World Record for the most number of selfies clicked in three minutes.[14]
Theatrical
[edit]The film released on 24 February 2023.[15][16]
Home media
[edit]The film was premiered on Disney+ Hotstar on 21 April 2023.[17]
Reception
[edit]Critical response
[edit]On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 18% of 11 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 4.7/10.[18]
The Times of India gave the film 3.5 out of 5 stars and wrote "Overall, Selfiee is an easy-breezy watch, with some good performances and several laugh-out-loud moments. If you're looking for a rib-tickling comedy over the weekend, this one could be a good pick."[19] Bollywood Hungama gave 3 out of 5 stars and wrote " SELFIEE works due to the plot, direction, dialogues and faceoff between the actors. At the box office, the film will have to rely on strong word of mouth and spot bookings to make a mark."[20]
Zinia Bandyopadhyay of India Today gave 3 out of 5 stars and wrote "Akshay Kumar-Emraan Hashmi roll out a good remake that's genuinely fun".[21] Monika Rawal Kukreja of Hindustan Times wrote "Akshay Kumar gets up, close and personal with his superstardom in this mass entertainer".[22] Anna MM Vetticad of Firstpost gave 2.25 out of 5 stars and wrote "A reasonably entertaining Akshay Kumar starrer after a long time".[23]
Box office
[edit]As of 16 March 2023[update], the film has grossed ₹20.06 crore (US$2.4 million) in India and ₹3.57 crore (US$430,000) overseas for a worldwide gross collection of ₹23.63 crore (US$2.8 million).[24]
References
[edit]- ^ "Selfiee". British Board of Film Classification. Archived from the original on 4 March 2023. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
- ^ "Akshay Kumar-Emraan Hashmi's Action-Dramedy Tanks on Second Day - Check Report". India.com. 26 February 2023. Archived from the original on 4 March 2023. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
- ^ "SELFIEE BOX OFFICE". Bollywood Hungama. 24 February 2023. Archived from the original on 4 March 2023. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
- ^ "Selfiee (2023)". Irish Film Classification Office. Archived from the original on 19 April 2023. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
- ^ "Bollywood Superstar Akshay Kumar to Star in Thrilling Drama "Selfiee"". Rwmedia. 21 February 2023. Archived from the original on 21 February 2023. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
- ^ "Selfiee trailer: Akshay Kumar goes meta in superstar vs superfan film with Emraan Hashmi as he says 'mujhe saal mein 4 movies karni hoti'". The Indian Express. 22 January 2023. Archived from the original on 26 January 2023. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
- ^ "Selfiee Box Office Collection till Now | Box Collection". Bollywood Hungama. 24 February 2023. Archived from the original on 4 March 2023. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
- ^ "Akshay Kumar's next film announced". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 14 December 2022. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
- ^ "Production begins for Driving Licence remake Selfiee". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 21 November 2022. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
- ^ Yadav, Nikita (21 April 2022). "Akshay Kumar and Emraan Hashmi celebrate schedule wrap of Selfiee with cake". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 17 January 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
- ^ "Selfiee song Main Khiladi: Akshay Kumar, Emraan Hashmi leave fans nostalgic with Tanishk Bagchi's remix of 1994 track". Hindustan Times. February 2023. Archived from the original on 1 February 2023. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
- ^ "Selfiee: Akshay Kumar and Mrunal Thakur redefine groovy vibe with 'Kudiyee Ni Teri'". Bollywood Hungama. 9 February 2023. Archived from the original on 9 February 2023. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
- ^ "Selfiee song Kudi Chamkeeli: Akshay Kumar and Diana Penty groove to Yo Yo Honey Singh's mellow composition". Hindustan Times. 19 February 2023. Archived from the original on 19 February 2023. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
- ^ "Selfiee actor Akshay Kumar breaks Guinness World Record for most selfies in 3 minutes, calls it a tribute to his fans". The Indian Express. 22 February 2023. Archived from the original on 1 March 2023. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
- ^ "Akshay Kumar and Emraan Hashmi's film Selfiee to release on February 24, 2023". India Today. Archived from the original on 23 January 2023. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
- ^ "Selfiee Official Trailer | Akshay Kumar, Emraan Hashmi, Nushrratt Bharuccha, Diana Penty | Video Trailer - Bollywood Hungama". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 4 February 2023. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
- ^ "Akshay Kumar And Emraan Hashmi Starrer Selfiee Releases On OTT; Here's How To Watch It". News18. 21 April 2023. Archived from the original on 21 April 2023. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
- ^ "Selfiee". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
- ^ "Selfiee Movie Review : A rib-tickling comedy peppered with good performances". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 24 February 2023. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
- ^ Hungama, Bollywood (24 February 2023). "Selfiee Movie Review: SELFIEE works due to the plot, direction, dialogues and face-off between the actors". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 24 February 2023. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
- ^ "Selfiee Movie Review: Akshay Kumar-Emraan Hashmi roll out a good remake that's genuinely fun". India Today. Archived from the original on 24 February 2023. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
- ^ "Selfiee movie review: Akshay Kumar gets up, close and personal with his superstardom in this mass entertainer". Hindustan Times. 24 February 2023. Archived from the original on 24 February 2023. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
- ^ "Selfiee movie review: A reasonably entertaining Akshay Kumar starrer after a long time". Firstpost. 24 February 2023. Archived from the original on 24 February 2023. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
- ^ Hungama, Bollywood (24 February 2023). "Selfiee Box Office Collection | India | Day Wise | Box Office - Bollywood Hungama". Bollywood Hungama. Archived from the original on 4 March 2023. Retrieved 26 February 2023.