Wake up Sid
Encyclopedia
Wake Up Sid is a 2009
2009 in film
The year 2009 saw the release of many films. Seven made the top 50 list of highest-grossing films, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that as of this year, their Best Picture category would consist of ten nominees, rather than five .- Highest-grossing films :Please note...

 Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...

 romantic comedy film
Romantic comedy film
Romantic comedy films are films with light-hearted, humorous plotlines, centered on romantic ideals such as that true love is able to surmount most obstacles. One dictionary definition is "a funny movie, play, or television program about a love story that ends happily"...

. It is directed by Ayan Mukerji, produced by Karan Johar
Karan Johar
Karan Johar is an Indian film director, producer, screenwriter and Television host. He is the son of Hiroo Johar and Yash Johar. He is one of the most successful filmmakers in Bollywood. He is most known for directing and producing some of Bollywood's highest grossing films in India and the...

's Dharma Productions
Dharma Productions
Dharma Productions Pvt. Ltd. is an Indian film company founded by Yash Johar in 1976.- Other projects :Dharma Productions and NDTV recently decided to jointly launch an entertainment television channel called NDTV Imagine.- Controversy :...

, distributed by UTV Motion Pictures
UTV Motion Pictures
UTV Motion Pictures Plc is a wholly owned subsidiary of UTV Software Communications Ltd. , based in London media and entertainment production company...

, and has visual effects
Visual effects
Visual effects are the various processes by which imagery is created and/or manipulated outside the context of a live action shoot. Visual effects involve the integration of live-action footage and generated imagery to create environments which look realistic, but would be dangerous, costly, or...

 by the Prime Focus Group
Prime Focus Group
Prime Focus Group is one of the largest film, advertising and television post-production and visual effects companies in the world. It is the result of a number of acquisitions and mergers by Prime Focus Ltd.-Prime Focus Group:...

. The film takes place in contemporary Bombay and tells the story of spoiled, careless rich-kid Sid Mehra (Ranbir Kapoor
Ranbir Kapoor
Ranbir Kapoor is an Indian actor who appears in Bollywood movies.Making his acting debut in the 2007 film Saawariya, for which he won the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut, Kapoor went on to earn critical praise for his performance in Wake Up Sid...

), a college student who is taught the meaning of life by Aisha (Konkona Sen Sharma
Konkona Sen Sharma
Konkona Sen Sharma is an Indian actress. She is the daughter of actress and filmmaker Aparna Sen. Sharma appears primarily in Indian arthouse and independent films, and her achievements in the genre have established her as one of the leading actresses of contemporary parallel cinema.Making her...

), an aspiring writer from Calcutta. Viewers who have seen Basu Chatterjee's films between 1975-1985, would find similar treatment in this film. Basu Chatterjee's films like 'Priyatama', 'Dillagi', 'Hamari Bahu Alka', 'Rajnigandha', 'Chhoti si Baat' had small story idea, developed nicely by the director and script writer. 'Wake Up Sid' is just like that and therefore, it is liked by younger generation of today as well as seniors also.

Plot

Siddharth "Sid" Mehra (Ranbir Kapoor
Ranbir Kapoor
Ranbir Kapoor is an Indian actor who appears in Bollywood movies.Making his acting debut in the 2007 film Saawariya, for which he won the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut, Kapoor went on to earn critical praise for his performance in Wake Up Sid...

) is the spoiled, carefree son of wealthy businessman Ram Mehra (Anupam Kher
Anupam Kher
Anupam Kher is an Indian actor who has appeared in nearly 400 films and 100 plays. Though mainly appearing in Bollywood films, he has had roles in some films from other nations as well...

). A resident of Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...

, his only interest is to have fun with friends and to spend his father's money. Thus, he spends little time at college and is not prepared for the exit exams. His father however, not being aware of this fact, tells Sid it is time to join his company, which Sid reluctantly does only after his father tempts him with the promise of a new car.

Meanwhile, Sid meets Aisha (Konkona Sen Sharma
Konkona Sen Sharma
Konkona Sen Sharma is an Indian actress. She is the daughter of actress and filmmaker Aparna Sen. Sharma appears primarily in Indian arthouse and independent films, and her achievements in the genre have established her as one of the leading actresses of contemporary parallel cinema.Making her...

) a woman from Calcutta, who is an aspiring writer. On their first meeting, they go out on a walk along the streets of Bombay. Sid shows her the city and takes her to Marine Drive by the sea. Sid tells her that one of the fascinating things of being in Bombay is its luscious monsoon. They seem to strike a chord instantly and a friendship ensues. Sid helps her to find (and furnish) her own apartment. She also lands a job with Mumbai Beat, (based on Time Out! Mumbai)http://www.timeoutmumbai.net/film/film_details.asp?code=266&source=5 a hip magazine run by the handsome, sophisticated editor-in-chief Kabir (Rahul Khanna
Rahul Khanna
- Early life and background :Khanna was born and raised in Mumbai. His father is Bollywood matinee idol & politician, Vinod Khanna, and his younger brother is Bollywood actor, Akshaye Khanna....

). On the eve of her 27th birthday Aisha invites Sid to her place because she does not want to be alone. When Sid tentatively explores moving their relationship beyond friendship, he finds that Aisha perceives him as boyish and immature. Despite feeling hurt, he maintains his friendship with her.

Their relationship intensifies when the exam results come out and Sid finds that he failed. His failure leads to a family fight that ends with him moving out of the house. With nowhere to go, Sid (who has never been on his own) asks Aisha if he can stay with her. Aisha is initially happy to have the company (although she clarifies that his stay is purely platonic). Eventually, however, Sid's bad habits revive themselves as he leaves her place a mess and makes the kind of demands on her that he is used to making on everyone. When she finds he has not eaten all day, Aisha is amused by the fact that Sid cannot cook and does not know how to feed himself. Over time, Sid learns that to survive in the world he has to begin cooking and cleaning. He has also realized he must work and Aisha helps him become a photography intern at the magazine she works for.

Aisha who had a crush on her boss, editor in chief Kabir, is ecstatic when he selects her article for the magazine and also asks her out on a live jazz performance. However, as she goes out with him, she realizes she does not have much in common with Kabir. Meanwhile, she slowly realizes her feelings toward Sid and understands she is in love with him.

As Sid begins working, he finds meaning in life and realizes that there are more options than working in a standard corporate environment. He also begins to see for the first time how his behavior has hurt everyone he loves and that he needs to change his ways. After he is hired as full-time staff and receives his first pay check, he confronts his father. They reconcile and Sid's father asks him to come home. Sid, who often feels a burden to Aisha, tells her that he won't be dependent on her charity anymore and expects her to be thrilled. He doesn't realize that Aisha has fallen in love with him and thus is furious to hear that he is leaving. Their departure is a hostile one and Sid leaves without resolution.

When Sid returns home from Aisha's place, he thinks constantly of her. However, he remembers that she had told him they can only be friends and so he does not consider that she might share his feelings. When the latest issue of Mumbai Beat arrives, Sid reads Aisha's column and is startled to discover that it is about her feelings for him. As rain starts pouring, he rushes to meet her at the same beach where they had sat the very first day they met. Sid expresses his love for her and the two embrace.

Cast

  • Ranbir Kapoor
    Ranbir Kapoor
    Ranbir Kapoor is an Indian actor who appears in Bollywood movies.Making his acting debut in the 2007 film Saawariya, for which he won the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut, Kapoor went on to earn critical praise for his performance in Wake Up Sid...

     as Siddharth "Sid" Mehra, a spoiled and self-centered college student from Bombay. According to Ranbir, of all the films that he has done so far, Sid was the toughest character to play. He adds that it might be difficult to believe but he is not at all like Sid in real life.
  • Konkona Sen Sharma
    Konkona Sen Sharma
    Konkona Sen Sharma is an Indian actress. She is the daughter of actress and filmmaker Aparna Sen. Sharma appears primarily in Indian arthouse and independent films, and her achievements in the genre have established her as one of the leading actresses of contemporary parallel cinema.Making her...

     as Aisha Banerjee
  • Rahul Khanna
    Rahul Khanna
    - Early life and background :Khanna was born and raised in Mumbai. His father is Bollywood matinee idol & politician, Vinod Khanna, and his younger brother is Bollywood actor, Akshaye Khanna....

     as Kabir Chaudhary
  • Anupam Kher
    Anupam Kher
    Anupam Kher is an Indian actor who has appeared in nearly 400 films and 100 plays. Though mainly appearing in Bollywood films, he has had roles in some films from other nations as well...

     as Ram Mehra
  • Shikha Talsania as Laxmi
  • Supriya Pathak
    Supriya Pathak
    Supriya Pathak Kapur is an Indian actress hailing from a long line of performers. She is famous for her role in the Indian sitcoms Khichdi and Idhar Udhar.-Family:...

     as Sarita
  • Namit Das as Rishi
  • Kashmira Shah
    Kashmira Shah
    Kashmira Shah is an Indian actress and model. She is the granddaughter of noted Hindustani classical singer, Anjanibai Lolekar. She has appeared in numerous Hindi and Marathi films. Shah is a half Maharashtrian and half Gujarati...

     as Sonia
  • Rahul Pendkalkar
  • Shruti Bapna
  • Kainaz Motivala
    Kainaz Motivala
    Kainaz Motivala is an Indian actress who appears in Bollywood films.She studied to become a journalist, was a part of the modelling industry, switched her career to acting and is even a published writer.- Filmography :- Television :...

     as Tanya Lathia
  • Natasha Rathod

Box office

Wake Up Sid opened well both in India and overseas markets. Its opening weekend gross was Rs 215 million (Rs 21.5 crore) of which the India gross stood at Rs 170 million (Rs 17 crore). It was number one in the box office during its first and second weeks, number four during its third week, and number three during its fourth week.

In the United Kingdom, the film collected $165,934, while in the US, the collections stand at $717,977. By its fourth week, it grossed $348,351 in New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Do Knot Disturb
Do Knot Disturb
The soundtrack of the film is composed by Nadeem-Shravan while the lyrics are penned by Sameer....

 also released during the same time, but Wake Up Sid got a larger portion of the audience.
After grossing about Rs. 42.75 crore, the film was declared an above average.

Critical reception

Wake Up Sid was well received by a number of critics. Subhash K. Jha (film critic and author of The Essential Guide to Bollywood) gave Wake Up Sid a rave review stating that it is, "a triumph on many levels. It takes the protagonist's predictable but yet kinetic voyage into self-realization to a level where the languorous plot exudes a beam of light that cuts right across the radiant narrative [...] The most obtainable component of young Ayan Mukherjee's artless narrative is the remarkable rhythms of the ordinary and the unostentatious in the narrative. All the relationships in the plot are potentially predictable and cliched. Ayan takes the age-old dramatic conflicts of our commercial cinema into quiet supremely understated corridors." Rajeev Masand
Rajeev Masand
Rajeev Masand is an Indian film critic and entertainment reporter for CNN-IBN. Masand started his career as an entertainment correspondent at the young age of 16...

 of CNN-IBN gave the film three out of five stars, stating that Wake Up Sid, "has its heart in the right place and it marks the breakout of a bright, shining star who has come into his own so early in his acting career. Watch it, and be awestruck by Ranbir." Taran Adarsh
Taran Adarsh
Taran Adarsh is an Indian film critic, journalist, editor and film trade analyst. He is also a former producer and screenwriter. He is the son of film director and producer, B.K. Adarsh....

 of Bollywood Hungama
Bollywood Hungama
Bollywood Hungama is a leading Bollywood entertainment website, owned by hungama.com....

 gave the film four out of five stars as well as a "thumbs up" stating that it is "strongly recommended."

Mayank Shekhar of the Hindustan Times
Hindustan Times
Hindustan Times is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded in 1924 with roots in the Indian independence movement of the period ....

gave it 3.5 out of four stars and states, "Wake Up Sid belongs to a sweet genre that, without doubt, flows on from Farhan Akhtar
Farhan Akhtar
Farhan Akhtar is an Indian filmmaker, script writer, actor, playback singer, lyricist, film producer in Hindi cinema and a television host.His directorial debut Dil Chahta Hai won a National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi...

's Dil Chahta Hai
Dil Chahta Hai
Dil Chahta Hai is a 2001 Indian film starring Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Akshaye Khanna, Preity Zinta, Sonali Kulkarni, and Dimple Kapadia...

: part Hollywood; part Bollywood; mostly coming-of-age; subtly romantic; largely original; authentic in feel; light in weight; English in expression; Hindi in language." Avijit Ghosh of The Times of India
The Times of India
The Times of India is an Indian English-language daily newspaper. TOI has the largest circulation among all English-language newspaper in the world, across all formats . It is owned and managed by Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd...

gave it three and half out of four stars and suggests that, "Wake Up Sid becomes a sort of template of how GenNow navigate their lives: deal with their own little rebellions, find meaning to their own definitions of independence and handle their own set of mistakes. It feels good when the two friends finally meet in driving rain under the grey skies by the sea. Refreshing and heart-warming, Wake Up Sid really puts you in the mood for love." Noyon Jyoti Parasara of AOL
AOL
AOL Inc. is an American global Internet services and media company. AOL is headquartered at 770 Broadway in New York. Founded in 1983 as Control Video Corporation, it has franchised its services to companies in several nations around the world or set up international versions of its services...

 India gave it three and half out of five stars and praised the director saying, "Ayan Mukerji arrives in style and manages to leave his own mark on the film despite having a producer like Karan Johar whose other productions always tend to have his stamp. , Wake Up Sid really puts you in the mood for love."

Joginder Tuteja of the Indo-Asian News Service
Indo-Asian News Service
Indo-Asian News Service or IANS is India's largest private news agency. The IANS is run by a group of professional journalists.The IANS was founded by Indian American publisher Gopal Raju as the India Abroad News Service. It was later renamed the Indo-Asian News Service...

 (IANS) calls the film "flawless" and gave it three and a half stars. He states: "There are five things that make Wake Up Sid a delightful affair. It has a constant flow throughout; no over the top or understated drama; no ultra emotional strangulation of audiences; absolutely no yuppie cool dude act; and last but not the least, this is an original and refreshing story." Rachel Saltz of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...

argues that: "With no big production numbers (songs play over montage sequences), a quiet style and credible characters, Wake Up Sid is Bollywood in an indie mood, a film for people like Aisha and Sid: young and educated. It may not be as hip as Bombay Beat, the magazine where the two work, but it shows that Mr. Mukerji is a director to watch."

Controversy

On 2 October, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena
The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena is a political party based in Maharashtra operating on the motto of "Sons of the Soil". It was founded on the March 9, 2006 in Mumbai by Raj Thackeray after he left the Shiv Sena due to differences with Uddhav Thackeray and sidelining in major decisions like...

 supporters used protests to halt the screening of Wake Up Sid at some cinema halls in Bombay and in Pune
Pune
Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...

. The MNS objected the use of the word "Bombay" instead of "Mumbai" in the movie. Johar apologized to MNS chief Raj Thackeray
Raj Thackeray
Raj Shrikant Thackeray is the founder and president of the right-wing Marathi ethnocentric regional political party, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena in the state of Maharashtra, India...

, explaining that the, "city of Mumbai is referred to as Bombay in a conversation between Ranbir Kapoor
Ranbir Kapoor
Ranbir Kapoor is an Indian actor who appears in Bollywood movies.Making his acting debut in the 2007 film Saawariya, for which he won the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut, Kapoor went on to earn critical praise for his performance in Wake Up Sid...

 and Konkona Sen
Konkona Sen Sharma
Konkona Sen Sharma is an Indian actress. She is the daughter of actress and filmmaker Aparna Sen. Sharma appears primarily in Indian arthouse and independent films, and her achievements in the genre have established her as one of the leading actresses of contemporary parallel cinema.Making her...

 some 12 times (in the movie). I explained to him that the error happened because of the colloquial parlance used in the film and he understood the point." While his apology halted the protests, Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan
Ashok Chavan
Ashok Shankarrao Chavan was the Chief Minister of Maharashtra. Chavan was sworn in on 8 December 2008, after his political party, the Indian National Congress and Vilasrao Deshmukh selected him to be Vilasrao Deshmukh's successor on 5 December 2008. He earlier served as Minister for Cultural...

 argued that Johar should not have apologized but should have instead gone to the police to file a complaint.

Awards

2010: Filmfare Awards
Filmfare Awards
The Filmfare Awards are presented annually by The Times Group to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in the Hindi language film industry of India. The Filmfare ceremony is one of the oldest and most prominent film events given for Hindi films in India. The awards were...

  • Won: Best Debutante Director (Male) - Ayan Mukherjee
  • Won:Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor
    Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor
    The Filmfare Critics Award for Best Actor is given by Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films. The award is given by the chosen jury of critics assigned to the function, and is a derivation from a previous award known as the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Performance, which...

    - Ranbir Kapoor
    Ranbir Kapoor
    Ranbir Kapoor is an Indian actor who appears in Bollywood movies.Making his acting debut in the 2007 film Saawariya, for which he won the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut, Kapoor went on to earn critical praise for his performance in Wake Up Sid...

  • Won:Best Female Playback - Kavita Seth
    Kavita Seth
    Sufi Singer Kavita Seth is an Indian singer, who is most known as a playback singer in Hindi cinema, as well as a performer of Ghazals and Sufi music, and has formed her musical group, Karwaan Group, a band of Sufi musicians...

     for "Iktara"

Soundtrack

The soundtrack has music composed by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy are an Indian musical trio consisting of Shankar Mahadevan, Ehsaan Noorani and Loy Mendonsa. Record producers, musicians and multi-instrumentalists, they have composed music for over fifty soundtrack across four languages...

 with lyrics by Javed Akhtar
Javed Akhtar
Javed Akhtar is a poet, lyricist and scriptwriter from India. Some of his most successful work was done in the late 1970s and 1980s with Salim Khan as half of the script-writing duo credited as Salim-Javed...

. The music was released on 21 August 2009. One song in the film has been composed by Amit Trivedi
Amit Trivedi
Amit Trivedi is an Indian film composer, musician, singer and lyricist, working in Bollywood. After working as a theater and jingle composer and composing for non-film albums, he debuted as a film composer in the 2008 Hindi film Aamir, and shot to fame in the Hindi film music scene with his...

 who scored the background music for the film.

Reception

The reactions towards the music were favorable. Chandrima Pal of Rediff gave the album a 3.5 stars, stating that, "the music sticks to the brief. It is hip, urban and bubbly, and unhurried. And thanks to Shankar Ehsaan Loy's musicianship, it is a slick, well-balanced production". Joginder Tuteja (Bollywood Hungama
Bollywood Hungama
Bollywood Hungama is a leading Bollywood entertainment website, owned by hungama.com....

) gave it 3 stars out of possible 5, suggesting that, "this may not really turn out to be the best seller of the year but should certainly be a perfect fit for the narrative."

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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