When you watch some films you instantly tend to connect with a lot of things. Wake up Sid is one film that I could connect in a lot of ways. To start with it is a very 'Bombay' film, Konkona's flat reminded me of my PG accomodation in Bandra and the crazy 80 year old house owner (in the film its one of the neighbours), my dear friend Ush's sis Raji who was promptly accompanied me to every PG / flat I went to looking for an acco,to check if it was an 'okay' flat (replace Raji with Ranbir), Konkona's fetish for cleanliness - yes yes sooo me
I liked the film only for the above aspects.. That's it.. Nothing more!
21 year old Sidhart Mehra a.k.a Sid is this rich kid whose dad Anupam Kher business interests him the least. Doting Punju mother Supriya Pathak's English p@%% him off. His college life revolves around fun friends, partying, ipod, clicking random pictures and so on. He meets Aisha Banerjee (Konkona) in the college farewell party. Aisha has just moved to Bombay from Kolkata in search of a job and they become friends.. only friends-nothing more. Post college Sid tries to be a part of his dad's office-fails miserably and flunks his final exams as well. Thrown out of the house 'coz of his attitude he lands at Aisha's one room flat and so do they fall in love? Does Sid get responsible? Watch Dil Chahta Hai and Lakshya.
Wake up Old
"The treatment and look are very fresh" - One would have said this had this film released eight years ago before Dil Chahta Hai. Its 2009 and we have seen umpteen such films in these eight years. The lazy rich kid in Bombay driving expensive cars, his 'sleep.eat.party' attitude, a responsible girl in his life... we have seen it all and there's nothing new the film gives you.
Wake up Good
Anupam Kher is very good as Sid's dad. Very understated and effective performance when required.. no "Tu mera beta .. me tera papa" kinda senti dialogues. Supriya Pathak does come across as a typical doting "gaajar ka halwa" mummy that we have seen in quite a number of films but she is likeable. Had it been Kirron Kher, you guys know how this paragraph would have ended.
Sid's friends - Laxmi and Rishi who comes in the Colgate Fresh ad are cute but here again, nothing new.
Yes - Cinematographer Anil Mehta does make a difference. Simple work. No 'Ajalagujala' framing and all that. Just what is required for a film like this.
Ranbir fits into Sid's shoes comfortably and no other actor could have done justice to this role than RK.
One very very very good thing that I reallllly liked about the film - Konkona is 27 and Ranbir is 21. They don't hide the fact that Konkona looks older than Ranbir.
Wake up Bad
The film revolves around two people - Ranbir and Konkona who are there in every frame. C'mon! For two hours and fifteen minutes or more you seen only Ranbir or Konkona or both in every scene. That gets to you after a point... which is the film's first 30 minutes.
The story just doesn't move forward. Once you have established that Sid is an aimless idiot or Sid moving into Aisha's flat etc why does one need to say the same thing in different scenes/ different forms?
I am sorry - Konkona Sen is over-rated in my opinion. She fits the role of a writer/ journo whatever but when in doubt, she rolls her beautiful eyes. The renditions are so predictable with that lazy tone of hers.
Don't understand this thing about Bong directors- Do they have to have to have a 'Bong' character / actor in every film of theirs?
Wake up Bored
Like 'Special Dosai' 'Special Sambar' there should be a category called 'Special actor' - one who does 'Dumped-at-the-last-minute' 'NRI maapillai in two scenes' kinda roles . Rahul Khanna is one. Almost every woman I know has a crush on him but sorry not for me... not anymore. He looks like a druggie and wanders about aimlessly in Wake up Sid.
Production design- A large part of the film is set in Konkona's bachelor pad and so it required a li'l bit of colour and prop-ing but this could have been slightly understated, I thought. Agree that every prop, dhurrie, curtain looks great but they look too clean and good to be true.
Wake up Yawned
It is not one of those films that will make you run out of the theatre screaming "Ayyo saamy aala vidunga" 'coz as the story m...o...v....e....s forward predictably, you also sit back and enjoy its little moments but at the same time you don't mind getting out of the theatre to answer calls or reply to those umpteen unattended "How are you?" SMSes from friends.
Wake up Glad
Wake up Dud
When the storyline is so predictable, one looks for other aspects that make the film enjoyable - like a Jaane Tu... for example. In Jaane Tu...we knew where the story was heading but there was something in the film that made it immensely enjoyable.
In Wake up Sid- the casting is nice, the cinematography - good, dialogues are perfect but still there was something missing - The story perhaps!
Wake up Sad - 2 out of 5
21 year old Sidhart Mehra a.k.a Sid is this rich kid whose dad Anupam Kher business interests him the least. Doting Punju mother Supriya Pathak's English p@%% him off. His college life revolves around fun friends, partying, ipod, clicking random pictures and so on. He meets Aisha Banerjee (Konkona) in the college farewell party. Aisha has just moved to Bombay from Kolkata in search of a job and they become friends.. only friends-nothing more. Post college Sid tries to be a part of his dad's office-fails miserably and flunks his final exams as well. Thrown out of the house 'coz of his attitude he lands at Aisha's one room flat and so do they fall in love? Does Sid get responsible? Watch Dil Chahta Hai and Lakshya.
Wake up Old
"The treatment and look are very fresh" - One would have said this had this film released eight years ago before Dil Chahta Hai. Its 2009 and we have seen umpteen such films in these eight years. The lazy rich kid in Bombay driving expensive cars, his 'sleep.eat.party' attitude, a responsible girl in his life... we have seen it all and there's nothing new the film gives you.
Wake up Good
Anupam Kher is very good as Sid's dad. Very understated and effective performance when required.. no "Tu mera beta .. me tera papa" kinda senti dialogues. Supriya Pathak does come across as a typical doting "gaajar ka halwa" mummy that we have seen in quite a number of films but she is likeable. Had it been Kirron Kher, you guys know how this paragraph would have ended.
Sid's friends - Laxmi and Rishi who comes in the Colgate Fresh ad are cute but here again, nothing new.
Yes - Cinematographer Anil Mehta does make a difference. Simple work. No 'Ajalagujala' framing and all that. Just what is required for a film like this.
Ranbir fits into Sid's shoes comfortably and no other actor could have done justice to this role than RK.
One very very very good thing that I reallllly liked about the film - Konkona is 27 and Ranbir is 21. They don't hide the fact that Konkona looks older than Ranbir.
Wake up Bad
The film revolves around two people - Ranbir and Konkona who are there in every frame. C'mon! For two hours and fifteen minutes or more you seen only Ranbir or Konkona or both in every scene. That gets to you after a point... which is the film's first 30 minutes.
The story just doesn't move forward. Once you have established that Sid is an aimless idiot or Sid moving into Aisha's flat etc why does one need to say the same thing in different scenes/ different forms?
I am sorry - Konkona Sen is over-rated in my opinion. She fits the role of a writer/ journo whatever but when in doubt, she rolls her beautiful eyes. The renditions are so predictable with that lazy tone of hers.
Don't understand this thing about Bong directors- Do they have to have to have a 'Bong' character / actor in every film of theirs?
Wake up Bored
Like 'Special Dosai' 'Special Sambar' there should be a category called 'Special actor' - one who does 'Dumped-at-the-last-minute' 'NRI maapillai in two scenes' kinda roles . Rahul Khanna is one. Almost every woman I know has a crush on him but sorry not for me... not anymore. He looks like a druggie and wanders about aimlessly in Wake up Sid.
Production design- A large part of the film is set in Konkona's bachelor pad and so it required a li'l bit of colour and prop-ing but this could have been slightly understated, I thought. Agree that every prop, dhurrie, curtain looks great but they look too clean and good to be true.
Wake up Yawned
It is not one of those films that will make you run out of the theatre screaming "Ayyo saamy aala vidunga" 'coz as the story m...o...v....e....s forward predictably, you also sit back and enjoy its little moments but at the same time you don't mind getting out of the theatre to answer calls or reply to those umpteen unattended "How are you?" SMSes from friends.
Wake up Glad
Being a part of the media industry has it very own advantages - Like free tickets for films like these. Had I spent my own money watching a dud like this the tone of this review would have headed elsewhere.
Wake up Dud
When the storyline is so predictable, one looks for other aspects that make the film enjoyable - like a Jaane Tu... for example. In Jaane Tu...we knew where the story was heading but there was something in the film that made it immensely enjoyable.
In Wake up Sid- the casting is nice, the cinematography - good, dialogues are perfect but still there was something missing - The story perhaps!
Wake up Sad - 2 out of 5
7 Responses:
and i was planning on watching this one :(
Ditto as above
Hi blogeswari,
I am a great fan of yours and just delurked to comment...
I was eagerly looking forward to your Dil Bole Hadiappa review. Did u see the movie?
according to me your best film review is kireedam - Oh god how I laughed -it was just too good....
Please please watch the DBH movie...
an eagerly waiting to ROFL ing....
Sujatha Ramesh
Thanks Sujatha. Was away from Mumbai when it DPB released . Came back to hear 'Dil Bole Vendammpa' from boss.
Please check out the DVD.
I am sure you will enjoy the movie....
Come on... konjam karunai katungamma....
Sujatha Ramesh
I think I'll still watch it for RK and Konkana.. you liked Jaane Tu? I found it sugary sweet and the heroine acting-like-a-kid and everyone fussing over her routine is getting sooooo boring.
Now I need to find that kireedam review :)
hey there. I was looking for reviews on Nalini and Yasmin's Salon and landed here on your Blog. Read your piece on Fancy salons in Mumbai ( Bandra). Loved it, very honest and well written. I cld connect with it coz of a common TamBrahm connection( I am married to one) and therfore found the write up humorous as well:) so just wanted to congratulate you on your blog and finding yourself another reader:)..
Also- agree that Konkona is slightly over rated and her rendition very predictable :)am glad to find atleast one person who agrees with me on that.
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