‘Viral Sebi’ explores physical and psychological definition of boundaries: director Vidhu Vincent

Dubai: Malayalam language film ”Viral Sebi” uses an overnight road journey as a storytelling device to highlight many boundaries that persist in society, says director Vidhu Vincent.The film, penned by Sajitha Madathil and Anand Haridas, recently had its world premiere at the Media and Entertainment Fortnight at India Pavilion during the EXPO2020 Dubai here.

Vincent, known for acclaimed and award-winning Malayalam films like ”Manhole” and ”Stand Up”, said she was inspired by her driver friend who used to drive her across Kerala from Kozhikode to Kochi.

”He used to tell me a lot of stories. That’s when I thought about making a road movie based on the story of a taxi driver. I discussed the plot with Sajitha and another writer friend Anand Haridas. That’s how we got started,” the director told PTI in an interview here.

”Viral Sebi” follows a taxi driver named Sebastian aka Sebi whose life changes by the end of his trip from Calicut to Bengaluru, Karnataka after ferrying different passengers.

”It’s like there is this secondary citizenship for drivers, this class difference. It’s actually a shocking thing when you think since Kerala is considered the most progressive, liberal and literate state in the country. We wanted to explore the physical and psychological definition of boundaries in this film,” Vincent, a former journalist, said.

Madhathil, who was also present for the screening, described Sebi as a character who is narrow-minded, a bit cold and completely invested in his YouTube channel hoping his videos go viral one day.

”He is an engineering dropout and also separated from wife. He is trying to set up a travelling business but nothing is working. He is only bothered about his life. How his life changes as passengers come and go is the story of the film,” the co-writer said.

There was a reason why the Kochi-based director-writer duo wanted ”Viral Sebi” to have its world premiere in Dubai, they pointed out.

Sudeep Koshy, who plays the title role, is a popular automobile vlogger and a Malayali based in the UAE. TikTok star Meera Hamed stars as one of the passengers who changes Sebi’s life. She is an Egyptian based in the Ras al Khaimah, one of the seven emirates of the UAE.

”It was a great opportunity to premiere the film here. Dubai is a melting pot of cultures. I used to watch Sudeep’s YouTube channel called Sudeep Koshy Reviews. He was the perfect fit to play Sebi as he could both talk and drive simultaneously,” Vincent said.

Writer Madathil said they wanted a foreigner to play the role of the passenger who plays an instrumental role in changing Sebi’s outlook.

”We wanted someone who understands boundaries and the politics of the Middle East. So Meera was the right choice… Our film says why we need to break all types of borders, personal and national, in a subtle manner,” she added.

The film is expected to be released on an OTT platform in May, the director said.