Reviews for WAKE UP SID - Page 3

Director: Ayan Mukerji

Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Konkona Sen Sharma

Rating: 3/5

Wake Up Sid in literal terms if the coming of age story of one rich but irresponsible boy to a man.

Siddharth Mehra (Ranbir Kapoor) never had to try hard and always got everything he wished for on platter thanks to his affluent family. Freshly out from college, his attitude towards life continues to be careless as he keeps hanging around without any aim. He befriends Aisha (Konkona Sen Sharma) who has come from Kolkata to Mumbai to lead an independent life and find her own self.

Sid fails in his graduation resulting into a spat with his father (Anupam Kher) after which he leaves his house. He seeks shelter under Aisha's apartment and life changes drastically as he has to live on his own without his prosperous parental support.

One can instantly draw references of Siddharth Mehra's carefree characterization from similar characters played by Aamir Khan and Hrithik Roshan in Farhan Akhtar's Dil Chahta Hai and Lakshya respectively. The basic premise of the film might seem predictable not because you have seen that several times in films before but experienced something similar in real life. An average youth can relate to Sid since it's a common phase most might experience in life when one has to shoulder responsibilities after a spoon-fed life.

The simplicity of Ayan Mukerji's writing is what appeals to the viewer. The screenplay is fresh and frothy and the feel-good factor is devoid of a mushy treatment. The scene where Sid makes an instant cake for Aisha on her birthday or another where a classmate pays his bill when Sid's credit card stops working are sensitively written and directed. The delicately designed dialogues by Niranjan Iyengar mainly comprising casual conversations from daily life add depth to the drama.

Unconventional as the pairing might seem, the chemistry between Ranbir and Konkona is very richly and gracefully developed. Much against the conventional candyfloss chemistry concocted from dream songs and romance-laden lines, the rapport between the duo is so slice of life and unadulterated. Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy's music is soothing. Mainly playing in the background, it acts as a catalyst to the romance as each song has a lot to say through its multiple montages set in transition mode; much refreshing over the clichd song and dance.

The pacing is slow but the momentum drops only in the second half where the screenplay tends to get somewhat cyclic. Also most of the subplots from Sid's friends to Aisha's neighbour (Kashmera Shah) do not contribute much to the central plot. Again half-baked parallel love-stories of Sid and his colleague Tania and Aisha and her boss (Rahul Khanna) do not make the narrative multidimensional. The second half could have been crisper and the end could have been more innovative.

Technically the film is flawless with Anil Mehta's cinematography capturing the Mumbai city in a fresh perspective. Whether it's the Mumbai monsoon in the climax or the Queen's necklace at Marine Drive in the summer nights, each frame is rich in texture. Priyanjali Lahiri and Manish Malhotra's costume design complement the characters aptly.

Ranbir Kapoor effortlessly gets into the character of Sid and it's good to see him in a fresh outlook over his lover-boy image so far. Konkona Sen Sharma is dependable as usual and is expressive in her act. Anupam Kher is persuasive in the scene when he confronts Ranbir post his results. Supriya Pathak is a pleasant change from the regular Kirron Kher kind Bollywood moms. Rahul Khanna almost gets to play the same special appearance character that he did in recent films like Love Aaj Kal and Dil Kabaddi. Shikha Talsania and Namit Das as Sid's friends are decent. Kashmera Shah gets no scope.

It's pleasing to see Bollywood warming up to fresh talents like Ayan Mukerji and waking up to compelling narratives like Wake Up Sid.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Movie-Review-Wake-Up-Sid/articleshow/5080639.cms