Of all the films that got released on Amazon Prime this year, the Malayalam flick ‘Driving License’ stood out with its out-of-the-box content. It revolves around a Superstar and his die-hard fan who later becomes the nightmare for the actor.
Story
Kuruvilla Joseph (Suraj Venjaramoodu) is a motor vehicle inspector. He is a die-hard fan of Superstar Hareendran (Prithviraj Sukumaran). When Hareendran needs a driving license to perform a car chase in one of his movies, he sends his friend Johnny to Kuruvilla who agrees delightfully. Coming to know of this, Bhadran, the Hareendran’s rival leaks this information to the press. Hareendran suspects Kuruvilla behind this and humiliates him in front of his son. Kuruvilla is shattered to see his favourite star behave in this way. He seeks vengeance by complicating the licensing process for Hareendran and the rest of the plot hinges on whether Hareendran gets the license and the misunderstanding between them ends or not.
Underlying message
Fans love their favorite stars to the core and they expect the same warmth from them. It is not always possible to reciprocate the same feeling mutually. This movie deals with the adverse effects of egos getting bruised. The clashes and confrontations that follow have been beautifully shot by Lal Junior, the son of legendary director Lal.
The crux of the movie is articulated in one scene where Kuruvilla gets disheartened in the RTO office after he gets yelled at by Hareendran. The strength of this movie lies in the realistic portrayal of events without unnecessary commercial diversions and sub plots. Prithviraj Sukumaran and Suraj Venjaramoodu have given stellar performances to keep the drama riveting until the end.
In a word
We have seen several movies portraying the warmth and affability in the relationship between the star and his/her fan. ‘Driving License’ stands apart due to its unique plot that revolves around the ego-clash between the star and his devoted fan. Writing in the film is top-notch and there is news that it is being remade in Telugu by a well-known producer.
Where to watch?
Amazon Prime
Cast:
Prithviraj Sukumaran, Suraj Venjaramoodu, Mia Goerge, Major Ravi, Saiju Kurup, Suresh Krishna, Lalu Alex,Nandu
Music: Yakzan Gary Periera, Neha Nair
Cinematography: Alex. J. Pulickal
Producers: Supriya Menon, Listin Stephen
Language: Malayalam
Rating: 3.5/5
