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Selfie (2017) movie poster

Characters & Themes

Selfie (2017) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

Release, runtime and language
2017 · 85 mins · Spanish
Directed by
Víctor García León
Starring
Pepe Ocio, Alicia Rubio, Javier Carramiñana, Macarena Sanz, Santi Alverú

Bosco is a young man concerned about his future, especially after his father, a minister, is arrested for corruption and various economic crimes. Forced to leave his privileged lifestyle, Bosco embarks on a journey to find work, leading him to apply for a position at the headquarters of a left-wing political party. The film follows his experiences as he navigates this unexpected chapter in his life.

On this page (7)
  1. 1 Characters explained (5)
  2. 2 Where & when it takes place
  3. 3 Themes & meaning (4)
  4. 4 Character & meaning questions
  5. 5 Movie threads
  6. 6 Movies like Selfie
  7. 7 Every angle

5 main characters · contains spoilers

Selfie Characters Explained: Who Is Who

The main characters of Selfie (2017), heroes and villains: what drives them, how they change over the course of the story and what each of them reveals about the film's bigger ideas.

  • Om Prakash Aggarwal

    A motor vehicle inspector in Bhopal who engineers an illicit license for a film star to fast-track production. His pursuit of control reveals a willingness to bend rules and manipulate perception, setting off a chain of reputational damage and violent retaliation. He is pragmatic and image-conscious, but his methods expose a brittle sense of entitlement.

    • ⚖️ Duty
    • 🎭 Ambition
    • 🧭 Ethical dilemma
  • Vijay Kumar

    A renowned actor and capable driver whose career is threatened by a license scandal. He navigates fame, pressure, and public scrutiny, choosing to face the test openly and later to relinquish driving in a bid to protect others. His arc centers on integrity, responsibility to family, and resilience under media fire.

    • 🎬 Fame
    • 🛡 Responsibility
    • 🧭 Integrity
  • Naina

    Vijay’s wife who requires surgery, a medical emergency that forces rapid decisions and influences the timeline. Her situation heightens the emotional stakes and adds urgency to resolving the license controversy. She embodies the personal cost of public life and the family’s plea for compassionate handling of the crisis.

    • ❤️ Family
    • 🏥 Health
    • ⏳ Urgency
  • Suraj Diwan

    Vijay’s professional rival who exploits occult and fan-driven fervor to suppress competition. His schemes become entangled with personal vendettas and fan movements, triggering a violent confrontation that tests loyalty and legality. His confession is a key pivot in the plot.

    • ⚡ Rivalry
    • 🕵️‍♂️ Scheming
  • Vimla Tiwari

    A local corporator who fuels the controversy by spreading misinformation to a reporter. She uses political influence to manipulate public perception and amplify the licensing dispute. Her actions illustrate the corrupting edge of power in local governance.

    • 🏛 Power
    • 🗞 Media influence

Last updated: October 27, 2025 at 16:46

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Setting

Where and When Does Selfie Take Place?

The setting of Selfie (2017): the year and time period, the places and locations, and how they shape the characters, the mood and the tension of the story.

Time period

Present day

Set in contemporary India, the story moves through a modern media landscape where live news and social chatter shape outcomes. The plot hinges on a licensing scandal, a film shoot, and a family medical emergency that heighten urgency in real time. The interplay of bureaucracy, celebrity culture, and public perception reflects a current, fast-paced urban milieu.

Location

Bhopal, India

The events unfold in Bhopal, a major Indian city where government offices, a loaded media scene, and a film crew intersect. The RTO offices and other bureaucratic spaces become the arena for licensing power plays that drive the plot. The urban setting provides a realistic stage for celebrity culture clashing with procedure and public scrutiny.

  • 🏙 City backdrop
  • 🎬 Film industry hub
  • 🗂 Bureaucratic corridors

Last updated: October 27, 2025 at 16:46

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4 major themes

Selfie Meaning: Themes & Message Explained

What is Selfie (2017) really about? The emotional, social and philosophical themes the film keeps returning to, its symbolism and the message beneath the surface.

  • Celebrity & Fandom

    The film probes how fan adulation can border on intrusion, turning a star’s life into a public spectacle. Om’s obsession with staying close to Vijay reveals how fame can corrode ethics and blur boundaries between private and public life. The narrative shows how media and fans amplify mistakes, creating pressure-cooker circumstances for decision-making.

  • Power & Duty

    Traditional notions of duty collide with the corruptible nature of power. Om leverages his influence to fast-track a licence, illustrating how institutional authority can be weaponized. Vijay’s insistence on accountability and due process contrasts with shortcuts that threaten fairness. The confrontation tests where loyalty to procedure ends and personal ambition begins.

  • Media Manipulation

    News leaks and sensational reporting sway public opinion and complicate the characters’ choices. Vimla and Suraj exploit the media landscape to cast Vijay in a negative light, showing how narratives are engineered to shape reality. The film critiques the speed and reach of modern media in shaping reputations. It also demonstrates the power of closed-door decisions when the press is invited in.

  • Reconciliation

    Despite the hostility, the story builds toward forgiveness and accountability. Vijay confronts the manipulation publicly, choosing transparency and working toward rebuilding trust with Om. The resolution emphasizes dialogue over retribution, and the possibility of redemption when truth emerges. Family and public life intersect in a final act that restores balance to the characters’ world.

Last updated: October 27, 2025 at 16:46

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Character & theme questions

Selfie Characters & Meaning: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask about Selfie (2017): who the characters really are, their relationships, what the symbols mean, where it takes place and what the movie is really about. Each answer contains spoilers.

Q1

Where is the movie set?

The film takes place in Bhopal, a major Indian city. The urban setting serves as a realistic backdrop where government offices, a media scene, and a film crew intersect, creating an environment where bureaucratic procedures clash with celebrity culture and public scrutiny.

  • bhopal
  • setting
  • location
  • india
  • city
Q2

What time period does the film take place in?

The movie is set in present day, contemporary India. The story unfolds in a modern media landscape where live news and social media shape outcomes, reflecting current urban life in India.

  • present day
  • contemporary
  • time period
  • modern india
Q3

What is the Celebrity & Fandom theme about?

The film explores how fan adulation can border on intrusion, turning a star's life into a public spectacle. The narrative shows how media and fans amplify mistakes, creating pressure-cooker circumstances for decision-making and revealing how fame can corrode ethics and blur boundaries between private and public life.

  • celebrity
  • fandom
  • fame
  • media
  • public scrutiny
Q4

What is the Power & Duty theme about?

Traditional notions of duty collide with the corruptible nature of power in the film. A motor vehicle inspector leverages his influence to fast-track a licence, illustrating how institutional authority can be weaponized. The story contrasts insistence on accountability with shortcuts that threaten fairness, testing where loyalty to procedure ends and personal ambition begins.

  • power
  • duty
  • authority
  • corruption
  • bureaucracy
Q5

What is the Media Manipulation theme about?

The film critiques how news leaks and sensational reporting sway public opinion and complicate characters' choices. Local politics and media exploitation are used to cast someone in a negative light, showing how narratives are engineered to shape reality and demonstrating the power of closed-door decisions when the press is invited in.

  • media
  • manipulation
  • news
  • public opinion
  • politics
Q6

What is the Reconciliation theme about?

Despite the hostility and manipulation throughout the story, it builds toward forgiveness and accountability. The resolution emphasizes dialogue over retribution and the possibility of redemption when truth emerges. Family and public life intersect in a final act that restores balance to the characters' world.

  • reconciliation
  • forgiveness
  • redemption
  • family
  • resolution
Q7

Who is Om Prakash Aggarwal?

Om Prakash Aggarwal is a motor vehicle inspector in Bhopal who engineers an illicit license for a film star to fast-track production. His pursuit of control reveals a willingness to bend rules and manipulate perception, setting off a chain of reputational damage and violent retaliation. He is pragmatic and image-conscious, but his methods expose a brittle sense of entitlement.

  • om prakash aggarwal
  • inspector
  • license
  • corruption
Q8

Who is Vijay Kumar?

Vijay Kumar is a renowned actor and capable driver whose career is threatened by a license scandal. He navigates fame, pressure, and public scrutiny, choosing to face the test openly and later relinquishing driving to protect others. His arc centers on integrity, responsibility to family, and resilience under media fire.

  • vijay kumar
  • actor
  • driver
  • fame
  • integrity
Q9

Who is Naina in the movie?

Naina is Vijay Kumar's wife whose medical emergency requiring surgery forces rapid decisions and influences the story's timeline. Her situation heightens the emotional stakes and adds urgency to resolving the controversy. She embodies the personal cost of public life and the family's plea for compassionate handling of the crisis.

  • naina
  • wife
  • medical emergency
  • family
Q10

Who is Suraj Diwan?

Suraj Diwan is Vijay's professional rival who exploits occult and fan-driven fervor to suppress competition. His schemes become entangled with personal vendettas and fan movements, triggering a violent confrontation that tests loyalty and legality. His confession becomes a key pivot in the plot.

  • suraj diwan
  • rival
  • competition
  • fan frenzy
Q11

Who is Vimla Tiwari?

Vimla Tiwari is a local corporator who fuels the controversy by spreading misinformation to a reporter. She uses political influence to manipulate public perception and amplify the licensing dispute. Her actions illustrate the corrupting edge of power in local governance.

  • vimla tiwari
  • corporator
  • politics
  • misinformation
Q12

What role does Bhopal's bureaucracy play in the story?

Bhopal's bureaucratic corridors, including RTO offices, become the arena for licensing power plays that drive the plot. The RTO offices and other bureaucratic spaces represent where official power is exercised, and the illicit license scheme centers on manipulating these institutional processes.

  • bhopal
  • bureaucracy
  • rto
  • license
  • government

Movie threads

More Movies Like Selfie, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes Selfie tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Movies with a Public Image Crisis like Selfie

Stories where public figures are thrown into a whirlwind of media scrutiny and scandal. If you enjoyed the high-stakes media frenzy in Selfie, explore other movies about characters thrust into the spotlight for the wrong reasons. These films capture the tense, fast-paced experience of navigating public scandal, media manipulation, and the pressure to reclaim one's image.

  • tense
  • anxious
  • media frenzy
  • high stakes
  • public scrutiny
  • dramatic confrontation
  • Tone: tense, anxious, dramatic
  • Pacing: fast, chaotic, relentless
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern typically involves an inciting incident that sparks public outrage, leading to a rapid escalation of events fueled by media sensationalism. The protagonist must navigate a series of bureaucratic, personal, and public challenges under intense pressure, often culminating in a public confrontation or revelation that leads to resolution.

Why they belong together: These movies are grouped together because they share a specific high-stakes tone centered on reputation, public perception, and the chaotic influence of modern media. They deliver a consistently tense and anxious viewing experience with a fast pace that mirrors the relentless nature of a news cycle.

Movies with Bureaucratic Mix-ups like Selfie

Comedic or dramatic tales where a simple case of mistaken identity leads to escalating chaos. Fans of the bureaucratic chaos and mistaken identity plot in Selfie will enjoy these stories. They feature ordinary people caught in extraordinary circumstances due to a mix-up, leading to fast-paced, often tense journeys through systems and misunderstandings before a happy resolution.

  • misunderstanding
  • bureaucracy
  • chaotic
  • escalating
  • frenetic
  • stressful
  • Tone: tense, absurd, stressful
  • Pacing: fast, reactive, escalating
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The journey begins with a small, often ridiculous, error that is misinterpreted or blown out of proportion. The plot then follows a domino effect of consequences, with the protagonist reacting to each new complication. The conflict is frequently external, stemming from organizations or authorities, and the resolution involves untangling the web of misunderstandings.

Why they belong together: These films share a core narrative engine of a misunderstanding spiraling out of control, creating a blend of tension and situational humor. The pacing is typically fast as the plot hinges on a series of reactive events, and the tone balances stress with the inherent absurdity of the situation.

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Movies Like Selfie

Similar movies to Selfie: the same genre, themes or kind of story. Each one comes with its own plot summary, timeline and ending explained.

Browse all movie summaries

Every angle

Selfie (2017) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Selfie in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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