Sid is a grown-up kid, not a “man”, as he is often told by his good friend Aisha. Between the kid and the man lies the struggle to find one’s identity, a struggle to figure out what is it that one wants to do in life. When college days are over, it’s time to think beyond i-pods, parties, get-togethers and to chalk out a career. “But why?” Sid would scowl. He can, because he’s got a rich dad who even tries to lure him into his business with the promise of a latest Porsche as a gift. And the next thing you see is Sid sprawled on a chair in his dad’s office, munching on a pizza and yapping on his cell. A grown-up kid not willing to wake up to the altered reality around him.
‘Wake Up Sid’ is about a coming of age we all go through. It’s a film that instantly strikes a chord because it’s full of snapshots from our own lives.
When Sid (Ranbir Kapoor) flunks his college exam (not that I did) he finds himself in a tight spot. Tired of being taunted by his parents, he leaves his home and moves in with his best buddy Aisha, a Bengali who’s come to Mumbai to be “independent”. There, living with Aisha (Konkona Sen Sharma), Sid is confronted by his harsh reality. He can’t cook for his life. He doesn’t have a job. His credit card expires. And on top of it all, he finds that he’s carried the disorder of his own life into Aisha’s. It’s time to wake up.
A simple story that touches your heart without overwhelming it with too much drama or emotions, ‘Wake Up Sid’ is the face of new-age Bollywood cinema that has already given us gems like Dil Chahta Hai and Rock On. Debutant director Ayan Mukherjee deserves a solid pat on his back for putting together a gripping and relatable film about a confused youth’s coming of age. The juvenile quirks and emotional dilemmas of the eponymous hero are depicted with subtlety that’s scarce in Bollywood.
Take, for instance, that scene when Sid is photographing a mother cuddling up her kid. In a flash Sid becomes aware of his own love for his mother. Or Sid’s outburst at Aisha at the fag end when she calls him a bachcha. After the outburst, a teary-eyed Aisha smiles at Sid. It’s the moment when she realizes that Sid is no more a kid.
Ranbir Kapoor and Konkona Sen Sharma, two of the best talents in the new crop of actors, live their parts. In fact, one of the strong points of the film is its almost perfect cast. Ranbir is brilliant as the disorderly, confused, aimless youth, while Konkona comes up with an impeccable portrayal of a 27-year-old Bengali girl reading Tagore and listening to Hemant Kumar, a girl whose Mr. Right is a mature man and not a ‘bachcha’ like Sid.
Besides the tale of Sid’s self discovery, the movie is also about the sprouting and blossoming of romance between Sid and Aisha.
The film is technically top notch. The cinematography (Anil Mehta), music (Shankar Ehsaan Loy) and background score mesh together well to create an engaging story told without much flashiness by the director. The supporting performances by Anupam Kher and Supriya Pathak (Sid’s parents) and a cameo by Rahul Khanna (Aisha’s jazz crazy boss) are spot on.
Unspooling at a leisurely pace, ‘Wake Up Sid’ is a heart-warming film that leaves you in a wistful mood.
Movie Review : Watch it guys (6/10) By N K Deoshi
Sid is a grown-up kid, not a “man”, as he is often told by his good friend Aisha. Between the kid and the man...
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