Selfie 2018

Om Prakash Aggarwal, a devoted Motor Vehicle Inspector in Bhopal, is a tireless admirer of film star Vijay Kumar. As Vijay plans to fly to the United States with his wife Naina to be with the surrogate as the baby arrives, the production of his next film, Falak Tak, is pushed closer to its budget-triggering deadline. The climactic sequence, to be filmed on Indian Navy land, still awaits completion, and a missing driving licence threatens to derail the entire shoot. The production team scrambles as a clerical hiccup during a move between RTO buildings blocks the possibility of a quick duplicate, and the film’s budget strain tightens around everyone involved.

A political and social web thickens as Vijay’s rival Suraj Diwan leverages dark tricks to undermine him, even turning to occult motifs to cast doubt on Vijay’s grip on stardom. In a bid to speed things up, Vijay’s politician friend steps in, and Om agrees to arrange a sham licence without the star taking the standard road-test. The plan warrants a personal meeting at the RTO, to serve as a kind of documentary-proof should there be any inquiry. The arrangement lands Vijay in a precarious spot, because the first signs of trouble appear as news leaks—TV crews swarm the RTO, and a local corporator, Vimla Tiwari, spreads the tale that Vijay has been driving without a licence. The story snowballs, the public and media take aim, and Vijay’s reputation takes a hit just as Om’s world begins to tilt under the weight of backlash.

The situation spirals further as Om’s son is targeted by a faction of Vijay’s fervent supporters, prompting Om to feel the sting of the mob’s reach. Yet Vijay remains determined to see the process through, canceling his US trip at the producer’s insistence, and rushing his own child to hospital while the public spectacle continues to unfold. Amid the storm, Om and his wife Minty raise questions about fairness, while Vijay’s team keeps pressing for a path back to normalcy. The film then pivots toward a dramatic resolution: Vijay agrees to undergo a public, open examination under Om’s supervision, turning the test into a live, media-accessible moment.

What follows is a tense and careful choreography of tests and negotiations. The computer-based assessment gives way to a direct question-and-answer session, with Om asking tough, unusual questions designed to probe not just knowledge but composure. Vijay passes the initial hurdles, while Suraj’s confession—propagated secretly by a fellow actress who hopes to hand it to Vijay—threatens to complicate things further. The pressure on Om’s family intensifies as Om’s son again faces bullying related to the case, and Naina’s surgery looms as a time-sensitive distraction that could tilt the outcome.

On the day of the practical test, Vijay navigates the H test with steady control, only to have Om point out minor flaws, creating a stalemate that senior officials override in Vijay’s favor. The subsequent road test is postponed, a delay that lands exactly on the day of Naina’s procedure. Facing moral and professional pressure, Vijay makes a dramatic public declaration: he will relinquish driving forever and retire from both acting and driving if the disruption to his life cannot be resolved. The crowd swells, and a tense chase of loyalties unfolds as angry fans threaten to lash out, but Vijay acts decisively to shield Om and his family, escaping amid the chaos.

The near-miss turns into a path toward reconciliation. In a late-night revelation, Om explains that Vijay’s licence had been kept in a gift box—previously discarded at the RTO—clearing the air and easing the suspicion that had clouded their interactions. Bringing Om and his family to his home, Vijay openly addresses Suraj and Vimla, admonishing them for their missteps and setting the stage for a calmer, more measured conclusion. A few days later, with the tension finally dissipated, Vijay communicates to the press that the misunderstanding has been resolved and that his driving licence has been restored. The film closes with Vijay driving toward the airport, ready to begin the next chapter of his life, while the community appears to have learned a lesson about the dangers of sensationalism, rumor, and the power of reconciliation.