Wake Up S!d – Breezy and Beautiful

Hey everyone, long time new post. And the movie may be a little old but I guess it’s never too late to write a review. Guess the dearth of good hindi (or even tamil) movies and coupled with my indolent attitude has made this blog virtually inactive. So here we go.
George Orwell said “The best book is one which tells what we already know”. Well, it works for movies too. And “Wake Up Sid” is a fine example of that. Dharma Productions (known for their maudlin “masterpieces” in Hindi Cinema) have, surprisingly taken a breezier, more cheerful and “definitely frugal on the glycerin department” recipe for a two-and-something hour coming-of-age flick that speaks from the heart.
Sid is your everyday rich kid with an idyllic life who thinks the answer to anything is the swish of a credit card. He is happy, lives life by the moment and is at heart just a child- immature, overconfident, and arrogant. But when reality comes knocking the door one day, he is left gasping. What eventually happens is what forms the rest of the story.
Playing the rich kid to perfection is Ranbir Kapoor. Armed with his cartoonish t-shirt and his boyish enthusiasm he is sure to bowl you over. Certainly one of the best performances of the year!! Konkana Sen Sharma is all bong beauty and wit. Her character had to balance between the mature and the not-so-mature and brings a lot to the table in terms of her character. The fact that the lead pair’s age difference is barely a hindrance in the plot is evidence of the evolving maturity of the Indian audience.
The stand out aspect of the movie, however, is definitely the screenplay. Replete with convincing devices and fine touches, Ayan Mukherji’s debut is very dil se and tells you coming-of-age need not involve joining the army and dying for the country. Art direction is brilliant and gives a very off-beat hip look to the city of Mumbai. There are no hues of grey in Mumbai here, its all graffiti and spray-can art. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy’s mellifluous tunes do no harm to the proceedings either.
Overall, Wake Up S!d is a fine exhibition of modern Indian cinema. It may be angrezi in expression but its certainly Hindi at heart. Here is Bollywood’s instruction manual for “coming-of-age” flicks. Let the copying begin!!
Rating: 4.5/5