Selfie movie review: GV Prakash Kumar’s film is gripping thriller on education mafia

Selfie movie review: GV Prakash Kumar stars in a thriller about an engineer walking the murky lanes of corruption.

Debutant director Mathimaaran, an erstwhile assistant of filmmaker Vetrimaaran, makes an assured debut with Selfie – a film that explores the dark world of education mafia with focused storytelling. Based on some real-life incidents, the film works as a gripping tale that presents a front row seat to college admission scams and the price some students have to pay for it. The film also talks about the obsession parents have built around the need to enrol their children into engineering college without any consideration to their own interests.

Selfie movie review: GV Prakash Kumar plays a student in the movie.

GV Prakash Kumar plays Kanal, a village lad who’s pushed by his father into joining an engineering course. A few weeks in, Kanal realises he needs to earn extra bucks by taking up part time jobs to meet his expenses. However, when he learns that the easy way to make quick money is by is earning commission off selling college seats, he doesn’t think twice before jumping in. Little does he realise the risk of getting his hands dirty in this business which is completely managed by Ravi Varma (Gautham Menon), a local thug who has connections far and wide. Kanal’s life turns upside down when he gets embroiled in the college admission racket.

Selfie, which features GV Prakash Kumar in one of his most earnest performances in recent times, works to a large extent because it keeps its focus on the scam. If not for the racing screenplay, the film would’ve struggled to engage audiences with most of the story unfolding against a college backdrop. The choice to cast Gautham Menon as the antagonist works in the film’s favour as well. You don’t get major conflict scenes between Gautham and Prakash but the way these characters are written, make up for the major clash that’s usually awaited between the hero and villain in mainstream cinema.

Despite the initial lag, the film picks up after Kanal’s character gets involved in the chaos. The film has a heavy hangover of Vetrimaaran’s Pollathavan, especially in its style and some action scenes. Two action sequences which take place inside a room stand out and serve as the talking points of the movie. The climax does feel rushed but the fact that the film doesn’t try and glorify Kanal’s character by the end deserves some praise.

Selfie
Director: Mathimaaran
Cast: GV Prakash Kumar, Gautham Menon