Oru Vadakkan Selfie

G. Prajith's 2015 Malayalam film follows Umesh, who leaves home for Chennai dreaming of becoming a filmmaker after his father asks him to take over the family grocery. A selfie he takes there changes his life in an unexpected way, and the film turns into a comedy of mistaken identity. The screenplay by Vineeth Sreenivasan mocks the pretensions of young people who dream of cinema without belittling them. Nivin Pauly's popularity at the time carries the film; his performance is unforced and makes no attempt to make the character's idleness charming. Belonging to the new wave of Malayalam cinema in the 2010s, it proceeds through small misunderstandings rather than large events. Its weakness is a second half that leans too heavily on coincidence. Who it's for: viewers who follow Malayalam youth comedy and Nivin Pauly's work. Who it's not for: anyone wanting a tightly plotted story, or who will struggle to keep up with the density of local references.