Wake Up Sid

Starring : Ranbhir Kapoor, Konkona Sen Sharma, Supriya Pathak, Anupam Kher , Namit Das, Shika Talsania, Rahul Khanna. Direction: Ayan Mukherjee.

Debutant director Ayan Mukerjee offers a very confident tale and takes the bow in style. The debut , coming as it does under Karan Johar’s debut is bound to draw comparisons with the said film maker and even more with Farhan Akthar’s debut making yuppie tale Dil Chahta Hai. The genre style and thematic content is contemporaneous and the tale is told with the feel good factor that instantly attracts the audience to the multiplex. The work show cases the skill sets of the director who in keeping with the production house backing him places a premium on style.
Two important things need to talked about. First the heterodox pairing of Ranbhir and Konkona Sen Sharma. It must be said to most part of the film their relationship bordes on the platonic and yet the simmering of relationship is wonderfully crafted by the two. It is a moot question as to whether it is the talent of the players, the imagination of the director or the sheer chemistry of the stars that gives you a very polished final product. Suffice it is to state that they make a very nice if contrasting pair. As Konkona walks into commercial cinema she surely needs better advice on her sense of dress. After disappointing outings in Laga Chunuri Mein Daag and Aja Nachale, she is called upon for lesser sacrifices and the camera works on her with greater care than before. Yet her presentation needs attention.
The other aspect that needs special mention is the performance of Ranbhir Kapoor. This year surely he will not walk away with awards for Wake Up Sid. Too early in his career, but the fear that he would fall into a category like his dad is tragic. Rishi Kapoor is one of finest and under rated actors. Make a list of great actors and most film pundits will overlook this actor who throughout his career was given poor roles and he delivered them all with great sincerity and merit. We often confuse a performance with a role and thus every great role is seen as a great performance. I very sincerely hope that this dynamite of talent does not get lost in the vile world of Bollywood. True to the title Sid not only wakes up from his slumber but delivers the slug in true cinematic (and over simplistic!) style. He gets into the skin of the role with ease and shows that dramatics is often a needless virtue in this medium of entertainment. He states- neither under nor over and this is a quality to be marked and awarded. Our cinema does not notice such nuances. I hope this will not work to the commercial peril of this young and promising actor.

Wake Up Sid is about Ritchi Rich Sid who shops and lives life king size on dad’s wealth. While he is willing to use Dad (Anupam Kher) as his credit card he is not prepared to credit dad with too much. He moves into the designer flat of new fried Aiysha (KonKona) who unlike him wants her wealth, her space, her money etc. While the two start living together in this single bed room apartment, their Chemistry for a change does not get the physical. Brewing within their emotional maze however are questions and sentiments that would explode some time. As a film buff we know the inevitable and so it is the route that engages us.

L. Ravichander