Film Review: 'Wake Up Sid'



Wake Up Sid" is a slacker comedy about an unmotivated college boy who takes life for granted until he faces some difficulties in life.




"Wake Up Sid" is about a big time slacker, Sidharth Mehra a.k.a. Sid (Ranbir Kapoor), who studies less and likes to take it easy. His priorities are his friends - Rishi (Namit Das) and Laxmi (Shikha Talsania) -, his camera, his car, his X-box 360. He also enjoys his mother's, Sarika (Supriya Pathak), unconditional love and all of life's luxuries, courtesy of his wealthy father Ram Mehra (Anupam Kher), but has no direction whatsoever.



At the college farewell party he crosses paths with Aisha Bannerjee, (Konkona Sen Sharma), a new arrival from Kolkota. On her first night in the city, Sid takes Aisha for a walk and is shocked by her confident approach to life. Sid becomes Aisha's first friend in the city and helps her settle into her new place with the help of his buddies.



When the college final exam results release, Sid learns of his failure and breaks down. He has a fall out with his parents and in a fit of rage he leaves home. He knocks on Aisha's door and moves into her place. In Aisha's eyes, Sid is still a 'boy' who needs to become a 'man.' Sid's non-disciplinary behavior, including many failed attempts at making eggs and a messy flat, frustrates Aisha. From here on out, Sid gets the biggest wake up call of his life and tries to set his priorities straight with the help of his camera.



The Cast:



Ranbir Kapoor as Sidharth Mehra - popularly called Sid, he's the guy who lives by the 'who cares about tomorrow, let's just have some fun!' motto. A complete mama's boy, he's childish, lazy and has no responsibilities in life. Living off of his father's well-earned money, Sid sleeps with a Sponge Bob blanket, loves eating pizza, and enjoys roaming Mumbai with his college buddies.



Konkona Sen Sharma as Aisha Bannerjee - 'new girl in the city,' she left Kolkota to chase her dream of becoming a writer for an urban magazine called Mumbai Beat. She's free-spirited, creative, and independent. She aimlessly walks the streets of Mumbai and discovers love once she meets Ranbir.



Anupam Kher as Ram Mehra - big-hearted father of Sid and proud owner of a bathroom furnishing company that sells 'Flower Showers.' He encourages his spoilt son Sid to wake up and join the company for some real world experience, and a free Porsche.



Supriya Pathak as Sarita Mehra - Sid's sweet mother who tries to communicate with her son in broken English ('school' is 'iskool'). Her love for Sid is so strong that she sends his favorite mangoes to him during his struggling times.



Namit Das as Rishi - Sid's childhood buddy who falls in love but later becomes a victim of heartbreak!



Shikha Talsania as Laxmi - star of the class and Sid's close friend, she's slightly overweight and has a passion for food.



Rahul Khanna as Kabir Chaudhry - editor-in-chief of Mumbai Beat, he's Aisha's handsome boss who invites her to jazz concerts.



The Crew:



Director: Ayan Mukerji

Producer: Hiroo Yash Johar, Karan Johar

Production House: Dharma Productions

Distributor: UTV Motion Pictures

Music Label: Sony Music

Screenplay: Ayan Mukerji

Story: Ayan Mukerji

Cinematography: Anil Mehta

Music Director: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy

Lyricist: Javed Akhtar

Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Konkona Sen Sharma, Anupam Kher, Supriya Pathak, Namit Das, Shikha Talsania, Rahul Khanna



What Worked:



"Wake Up Sid" is realistic and keeps you hooked! It's got enough heart-warming moments that youngsters and parents can connect with, and debutante director Ayan Mukerji is successful with real life scenes like; Sid confronting his parents after he fails his final exams, Sid's endearments with his mother, his breakdown on arrival at Aisha's doorstep, the live-in friendship he shares with Aisha, his college days and nights out with his friends.



Ranbir is fantastic as the boy-next-door. He puts on a new and natural act and really brings life to the character of Sid by his lethargic body language and careless expressions.



Konkona's character also adds to the fresh nature of the film simply through her eyes and facial expressions.



Anil Mehta's cinematography is impressive - he captures Mumbai in abstract angles with a special emphasis on Marine Drive!



What Didn't:



"Wake Up Sid" gets lengthy towards the end. The love story between Sid and Aisha isn't developed well enough in the second half of the movie, especially since they are in denial the entire time. At one point, you think a love story doesn't even exist within the plot and the film could have easily done without one.



The Soundtrack:



Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy score high with uplifting tunes like "Wake Up Sid Club Mix" and "Kya Karun." All of the songs blend beautifully with the movie, including the opening track "Wake Up Sid" and the romantic climax song "Iktara" (Amit Trivedi).



Slated or Rated:



"Wake Up Sid" is fresh and in line with today's generation. The music is refreshing, the performances rock, but most of all it's a real wake up call for all youngsters



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