The One with DBH & WUS Reviews
I am convinced that the world is conspiring against me this exam season with all the films releasing at the wrong time. Or maybe its just me blaming the world for my procrastination....whatever it may be I am sure you guys are just interested in the review part.
I finally got around to watching Dil Bole Hadippa when it released on DVD soon because honestly for me it was nothing to on the day of release, especially since Wanted too priority. As for Wake Up Sid, its definitely been on my 'must see' list since I heard of its existence .
Dil Bole Haddipaa
Yes I was brave enough to watch Rani Mukerji’s so called ‘comeback’ venture Dil Bole Hadippa a couple of days ago. Some maybe be reading this with a raised eyebrows when they look over the words ‘brave’ and ‘comeback’ so I better explain. Brave because that is what it takes for me to endure a YRF outing these days. Before they were just commercial success mongers but at least they had decent storylines and gave us films like DTPH and DDLJ, but now they’re just desperate success mongers who’ve forgotten what good or even decent scripts look like so indeed it took a lot of braveness for me to make the decision that I should check out their latest outing DBH, even if it is months after the release. (And I won’t lie, the gorgeous Shahid posters were the real insensitive!). Now to the comeback. Well I think it was a premeditated term used by the media. Firstly because a comeback is when someone comes with a bang and proves all that they lacked, well that’s what it means in my dictionary, so you can’t call it a comeback until you’ve seen it. So as for the ‘comeback’ part of my opening sentence, well you’ll have to read on to find out if I would really class this as the comeback of the talent that gave us films like Black and Saathiya.
To be clear I won’t go into the ‘what is it copied from’ dialogue as it’s just so vague to decide since several sources say several things. In my mind it resembles She’s The Man starring Channing Tatum and Amanda Bynes which was a Hollywood movie based on a Shakespearean play. So let’s leave that argument here and move on. In addition I’ll also leave the story line for you to read and know for yourself if you don’t already do so, but let’s be realistic you probably do.
Now to the fun part! Honestly I was cringing in full swing when I read the cast of this film because frankly its one odd coupling. But thankfully the romance was left to quite a minimum for a YRF production which usually boasts of a high romance quota, so I didn’t have to cringe throughout the duration of the film. On the contrary the film was comic at the core and for comedy you require simply two sensational actors which we all know Rani and Shahid are individually. Put two amazing actors on screen in a hilarious situation with witty lines and you get CHEMISTRY! Yes that is what I call chemistry my friend! To me chemistry is no sizzling scene in the rain or on top of the swiss alps. For me chemistry is how an actor reacts of another. And that is what Rani and Shahid did brilliantly throughout the film!
Shahid delivered yet another knockout performance! Many said that he’d been quite sidelined because the story focussed on Rani but I would have to disagree because an actor like him managed to hold his ground and demand attention in light of a female orientated script.
Rani on the other hand was sensational in the comic sequences. I have always believed that she rocks at comedy and it was great to see her do that after a while. However her styling was a bit over the top. I mean the curls were just too obvious, coupled with the make-up and outfit. But then again, what am I complaining about, I should have expected over the top styling when I am watching a Yash Raj film. However despite her pulling off the comic sequences well I have to add that the maturity you see on her face, that of a lady who’s experienced life and its ups and downs, was very contradictory to the young and foolish Veera she played in the film. I truly wish an actress of her calibre would read and consider her scripts way more carefully before accepting them because gone are the days when we can accept a 30+ SRK playing a college boy. All in all no way would I cast this to be her comeback. Afterall this is the woman who gave us Black and made us see the potential of Indian actresses in a whole new way, so for her to win back that same acclaim and ‘awe’ from her viewers will be no easy job attained by one average entertainer however a small thing as reading scripts properly and not blindly saying ‘yes’ to YRF will surely win that acclaim and awe back for her in no time!
Now to the other departments. Firstly the screenplay was remarkably impressive. There were no dull moments, the flow was natural and not forced. More than anything the interval timing couldn’t have been better! Usually in Indian cinema we try to end with a climax of a somewhat mellow dramatic sequence in the first portion of the film but it was a good call to bring the interval portion at the height of a discovery. It made audiences hanker for more and literally wait at the edge of their seats for the film to resume. However I cannot commend in the same way to the direction department.
There were several flaws which the director ought to have picked up on but I will speak about the most obvious of them all, RANI’S VOICE MODULATION! Yes I do not like writing in capitals but this one was so obvious it had to have been picked up. I mean what were they thinking! I sat there gobsmacked at the stupidity of the people who’d put this film in front of me. It’s as bad as RNBDJ’s Suri not recognising SRK with just a tiny moustache shaven off. I really think Yash Raj needs to go and get the mental capacity of their audiences reassessed because in actuality we’re not idiots. Nor are we deaf that we’d not hear a female voice behind Rani’s beard and think that other characters ought to do so too!
I’ll cool on the insults for now because it seems to be just me banging my head against the wall, afterall I cannot turn back time and command Anurag Singh to have his ears wide open during the shoo. So let me continue with my review on a more positive path and commend the cinematography and art direction which were sensational! At last Yash Raj found that leaving India for a film is not the only option and grasped the full beauty of Punjab on screen. However is it just me or is Punjab the only state that YRF have the obvious need to depict, I mean I love Punjabi culture and it is without a doubt of the vibrant states but a bit of variety wouldn’t hurt every now and then. Small tip of Adi Chopra, try Marathi, South Indian, Bengoli or any other beautiful culture of India! Variety after all is the spice of life. Not to mention this is a production house that targets the Western Indian audiences who would enjoy being re-educated about the range of cultures all embedded in one beautiful nation, I know I would!
Coming to the music, I have to say that I am not the biggest fan of the soundtrack but seeing the songs on screen did make me warm up to them. Picturisation of Ishq Hi Toh Rab and Disco Wale Khisco are to be commended on.
Now to wrap it all up in one conclusive paragraph, the part that I hate. Firstly I would recommend to all those who were very apprehensive at the sight of this film to give it one shot in your most bored moment because it has a few good laughs honestly and you do enjoy the color treat and Shahid’ amazing looks are just a bonus! The film honestly is quite aptly made however the one mistake that ruins the whole thing as mentioned above (Rani’s voice modulation) makes the film look bad as a whole. Let this be a lesson to all makers that a tiny mistake like that could cost you the success of your film and since it is the main thing critics and audiences pick up when seeing the film I would think that it’s safe to say that it is the only thing that stopped this film from being appreciated to its full potential. However at the end of the day its one good time pass of a film. Sure its no ‘Wanted’ in my books but its definitely not anywhere near as the latest outings of YRF (baring New York) so go on and give it a shot, you may just survive this latest offering by YRF.
Wake Up Sid
I am constantly amazed at the ability of cinema to compel you to reflect on your own life and situations in it. It marks the work of a great story teller and an as impactful performer when this rare moment happens, and yes rare this moment is. In recent times I really cannot think of a film in Indian cinema that has compelled me to reflect, compare and contrast myself and my situations from that which are on the screen before me. In my opinion such moments are rare in Indian cinema because it predominantly stands for dealing with very distinct and specific issues when it comes to ‘realistic cinema’ and when not realistic its the ideal piece of cinema to let you escape. All in all its not known to tell stories of relatable individuals but instead character larger than life or those in a situation that is larger than life, so relating to their is out of the question. However this rare break comes once in a while and Wake Up Sid is one of these moments.
When I did read Taran Adarsh’s review on India-fm I was particularly intrigued at his comparison of WUP with Farhan Akhtar’s DCH which to me is a cult film. However I could see his logic in comparing the film with DCH once I’d watched it myself. Like Farhan, Ayan Mukerji also has created and displayed characters who are extremely real! You can almost point fingers out and find someone exactly like Sid and Ayesha. They are real people! I know that sort of a ‘duh’ type of a sentence but that’s all I’ve got to say on that point and that is that these characters are real!
20 yr old Sid’s world is not much different to most kids his age. I know certainly that it’s no different to my world. A world where I think I am invincible, where I do as I please, little worry or hurry to grow up and living in the moment. The scenes where you see Sid aimlessly lounging in his room or pressing buttons on his laptops, or taking random pictures of random objects seem to be like take out of lives of 20yr olds exactly! In fact it sounds like every other day in my life. (Of course I do get inspired every now and then and give being a lawyer a shot and its going quite smoothly so far despite my express need to be lazy and procrastinate haha..) However Sid gets a rude awakening when college ends and things don’t go as planned. In fact Sid didn’t have any plans, the only plan he had was to never make plans and live life the way he had so far but sadly the cruel outside his happy world has other plans, plans to wake up Sid! At last! How he takes this rude awakening in his stride and transforms from a boy to a man is the rest of Wake up Sid.
As usual I feel the need to re-iterate my expectations and pre-conceived notions about this film before I can successfully critique. Expectations came in different shapes and sizes. I was apprehensive as it is a Karan Johar production which means overdone makeup, wardrobe, unrealistic characters and not much sense much like Dostana etc. But then these expectations were balanced with one name and one name only, Konkona Sen Sharma. I kept reminding myself that an actress like Konkona wouldn’t do an insane role or film. So that kept my hopes at a decent level.
However I would be lying if I said that I was overjoyed to hear that Konkona would be sharing screenspace with Ranbir. I really didn’t think they’d work as a couple as their maturity and age level difference is quite evident in their facial features. Luckily to my surprise Ayaan Mukerji was one step ahead, a rarity for Indian makers, and actually when onto explain that she indeed is meant to be a much more matured person then him in their respective characters. Phew!
In fact that was the film’s biggest strength, the fact that the maker gave some of the tiniest things a lot of importance and was very thorough in his film making process. Attention to detail. For example, you see Ranbir buying a shirt in the Kya Karoon song in the shopping centre, and immediately in the consequent scene you see him partying in the same t-shirt. That is continuation my friend! (Last time I witnessed such defined continuation was in Socha Na Tha where you see a clothing piece hanging in Abhay’s room which he’d worn in a previous scene).
Now coming to the critique...truly I do not have any. Usually when I am watching a film a lot of things will pop out and annoy the heck out of me but with WUS I just sat and enjoyed every moment of it. The performances, the flawless screenplay, the thought provoking and well thought out script. More than anything it was not over-the-top production like Karan’s productions are. Infact it was realistic make up, clothes and most importantly, a Desi location! See Karan that wasn’t too hard! The best part of it all, you saw characters repeating clothes! I don’t think that ever happens in Indian cinema’s history. Now I don’t know whether Karan went bankrupt for a day or did he just have an epiphany that in real life people don’t walk around in new brand names every day, we in fact do repeat clothes as weird as that sounds! See what I mean by no critique, even such minor details were taken care off for once!
To top it all off you had two of the most sensational actors the country has seen performing two of their best performances till date. Ranbir’s naturalness astonished me in each and every scene. Actually I still remain astonished at how natural the guy is! Its like for the duration of the film Sid and him were non different. You simply forget that its Ranbir behind that character, all you care and know about is Sid. In addition there is Konkona who’s talents my words are not enough to express. All I can say is that in my opinion she is the best we’ve got today in terms of female leads in Hindi cinema.
So all in all I think this is really one of those times that I stumped by a film. I really don’t have anything to criticise! Its just a simple film, with simple characters but combined in an extraordinarily perfect manner! Ayaan Mukerji take a bow because indeed you’ve achieved something that no one has in my books in the year of 2009 and in general you’ve given a film of such a calibre that even some of the established makers of the fraternity a yet to attain. Oh gosh that’s sort of embarrassing as well as exhilarating at the same time that I don’t have anything bad to say. I swear this is a first for me! And so it goes without saying that this is one of those films that is a must watch. Its more than just award worthy, critical acclaim worthy or commercial success worthy. Wake Up Sid goes beyond all these forms of praise and truly is credible enough to be edged in our minds forever.
I finally got around to watching Dil Bole Hadippa when it released on DVD soon because honestly for me it was nothing to on the day of release, especially since Wanted too priority. As for Wake Up Sid, its definitely been on my 'must see' list since I heard of its existence .
Dil Bole Haddipaa
Yes I was brave enough to watch Rani Mukerji’s so called ‘comeback’ venture Dil Bole Hadippa a couple of days ago. Some maybe be reading this with a raised eyebrows when they look over the words ‘brave’ and ‘comeback’ so I better explain. Brave because that is what it takes for me to endure a YRF outing these days. Before they were just commercial success mongers but at least they had decent storylines and gave us films like DTPH and DDLJ, but now they’re just desperate success mongers who’ve forgotten what good or even decent scripts look like so indeed it took a lot of braveness for me to make the decision that I should check out their latest outing DBH, even if it is months after the release. (And I won’t lie, the gorgeous Shahid posters were the real insensitive!). Now to the comeback. Well I think it was a premeditated term used by the media. Firstly because a comeback is when someone comes with a bang and proves all that they lacked, well that’s what it means in my dictionary, so you can’t call it a comeback until you’ve seen it. So as for the ‘comeback’ part of my opening sentence, well you’ll have to read on to find out if I would really class this as the comeback of the talent that gave us films like Black and Saathiya.
To be clear I won’t go into the ‘what is it copied from’ dialogue as it’s just so vague to decide since several sources say several things. In my mind it resembles She’s The Man starring Channing Tatum and Amanda Bynes which was a Hollywood movie based on a Shakespearean play. So let’s leave that argument here and move on. In addition I’ll also leave the story line for you to read and know for yourself if you don’t already do so, but let’s be realistic you probably do.
Now to the fun part! Honestly I was cringing in full swing when I read the cast of this film because frankly its one odd coupling. But thankfully the romance was left to quite a minimum for a YRF production which usually boasts of a high romance quota, so I didn’t have to cringe throughout the duration of the film. On the contrary the film was comic at the core and for comedy you require simply two sensational actors which we all know Rani and Shahid are individually. Put two amazing actors on screen in a hilarious situation with witty lines and you get CHEMISTRY! Yes that is what I call chemistry my friend! To me chemistry is no sizzling scene in the rain or on top of the swiss alps. For me chemistry is how an actor reacts of another. And that is what Rani and Shahid did brilliantly throughout the film!
Shahid delivered yet another knockout performance! Many said that he’d been quite sidelined because the story focussed on Rani but I would have to disagree because an actor like him managed to hold his ground and demand attention in light of a female orientated script.
Rani on the other hand was sensational in the comic sequences. I have always believed that she rocks at comedy and it was great to see her do that after a while. However her styling was a bit over the top. I mean the curls were just too obvious, coupled with the make-up and outfit. But then again, what am I complaining about, I should have expected over the top styling when I am watching a Yash Raj film. However despite her pulling off the comic sequences well I have to add that the maturity you see on her face, that of a lady who’s experienced life and its ups and downs, was very contradictory to the young and foolish Veera she played in the film. I truly wish an actress of her calibre would read and consider her scripts way more carefully before accepting them because gone are the days when we can accept a 30+ SRK playing a college boy. All in all no way would I cast this to be her comeback. Afterall this is the woman who gave us Black and made us see the potential of Indian actresses in a whole new way, so for her to win back that same acclaim and ‘awe’ from her viewers will be no easy job attained by one average entertainer however a small thing as reading scripts properly and not blindly saying ‘yes’ to YRF will surely win that acclaim and awe back for her in no time!
Now to the other departments. Firstly the screenplay was remarkably impressive. There were no dull moments, the flow was natural and not forced. More than anything the interval timing couldn’t have been better! Usually in Indian cinema we try to end with a climax of a somewhat mellow dramatic sequence in the first portion of the film but it was a good call to bring the interval portion at the height of a discovery. It made audiences hanker for more and literally wait at the edge of their seats for the film to resume. However I cannot commend in the same way to the direction department.
There were several flaws which the director ought to have picked up on but I will speak about the most obvious of them all, RANI’S VOICE MODULATION! Yes I do not like writing in capitals but this one was so obvious it had to have been picked up. I mean what were they thinking! I sat there gobsmacked at the stupidity of the people who’d put this film in front of me. It’s as bad as RNBDJ’s Suri not recognising SRK with just a tiny moustache shaven off. I really think Yash Raj needs to go and get the mental capacity of their audiences reassessed because in actuality we’re not idiots. Nor are we deaf that we’d not hear a female voice behind Rani’s beard and think that other characters ought to do so too!
I’ll cool on the insults for now because it seems to be just me banging my head against the wall, afterall I cannot turn back time and command Anurag Singh to have his ears wide open during the shoo. So let me continue with my review on a more positive path and commend the cinematography and art direction which were sensational! At last Yash Raj found that leaving India for a film is not the only option and grasped the full beauty of Punjab on screen. However is it just me or is Punjab the only state that YRF have the obvious need to depict, I mean I love Punjabi culture and it is without a doubt of the vibrant states but a bit of variety wouldn’t hurt every now and then. Small tip of Adi Chopra, try Marathi, South Indian, Bengoli or any other beautiful culture of India! Variety after all is the spice of life. Not to mention this is a production house that targets the Western Indian audiences who would enjoy being re-educated about the range of cultures all embedded in one beautiful nation, I know I would!
Coming to the music, I have to say that I am not the biggest fan of the soundtrack but seeing the songs on screen did make me warm up to them. Picturisation of Ishq Hi Toh Rab and Disco Wale Khisco are to be commended on.
Now to wrap it all up in one conclusive paragraph, the part that I hate. Firstly I would recommend to all those who were very apprehensive at the sight of this film to give it one shot in your most bored moment because it has a few good laughs honestly and you do enjoy the color treat and Shahid’ amazing looks are just a bonus! The film honestly is quite aptly made however the one mistake that ruins the whole thing as mentioned above (Rani’s voice modulation) makes the film look bad as a whole. Let this be a lesson to all makers that a tiny mistake like that could cost you the success of your film and since it is the main thing critics and audiences pick up when seeing the film I would think that it’s safe to say that it is the only thing that stopped this film from being appreciated to its full potential. However at the end of the day its one good time pass of a film. Sure its no ‘Wanted’ in my books but its definitely not anywhere near as the latest outings of YRF (baring New York) so go on and give it a shot, you may just survive this latest offering by YRF.
Wake Up Sid
I am constantly amazed at the ability of cinema to compel you to reflect on your own life and situations in it. It marks the work of a great story teller and an as impactful performer when this rare moment happens, and yes rare this moment is. In recent times I really cannot think of a film in Indian cinema that has compelled me to reflect, compare and contrast myself and my situations from that which are on the screen before me. In my opinion such moments are rare in Indian cinema because it predominantly stands for dealing with very distinct and specific issues when it comes to ‘realistic cinema’ and when not realistic its the ideal piece of cinema to let you escape. All in all its not known to tell stories of relatable individuals but instead character larger than life or those in a situation that is larger than life, so relating to their is out of the question. However this rare break comes once in a while and Wake Up Sid is one of these moments.
When I did read Taran Adarsh’s review on India-fm I was particularly intrigued at his comparison of WUP with Farhan Akhtar’s DCH which to me is a cult film. However I could see his logic in comparing the film with DCH once I’d watched it myself. Like Farhan, Ayan Mukerji also has created and displayed characters who are extremely real! You can almost point fingers out and find someone exactly like Sid and Ayesha. They are real people! I know that sort of a ‘duh’ type of a sentence but that’s all I’ve got to say on that point and that is that these characters are real!
20 yr old Sid’s world is not much different to most kids his age. I know certainly that it’s no different to my world. A world where I think I am invincible, where I do as I please, little worry or hurry to grow up and living in the moment. The scenes where you see Sid aimlessly lounging in his room or pressing buttons on his laptops, or taking random pictures of random objects seem to be like take out of lives of 20yr olds exactly! In fact it sounds like every other day in my life. (Of course I do get inspired every now and then and give being a lawyer a shot and its going quite smoothly so far despite my express need to be lazy and procrastinate haha..) However Sid gets a rude awakening when college ends and things don’t go as planned. In fact Sid didn’t have any plans, the only plan he had was to never make plans and live life the way he had so far but sadly the cruel outside his happy world has other plans, plans to wake up Sid! At last! How he takes this rude awakening in his stride and transforms from a boy to a man is the rest of Wake up Sid.
As usual I feel the need to re-iterate my expectations and pre-conceived notions about this film before I can successfully critique. Expectations came in different shapes and sizes. I was apprehensive as it is a Karan Johar production which means overdone makeup, wardrobe, unrealistic characters and not much sense much like Dostana etc. But then these expectations were balanced with one name and one name only, Konkona Sen Sharma. I kept reminding myself that an actress like Konkona wouldn’t do an insane role or film. So that kept my hopes at a decent level.
However I would be lying if I said that I was overjoyed to hear that Konkona would be sharing screenspace with Ranbir. I really didn’t think they’d work as a couple as their maturity and age level difference is quite evident in their facial features. Luckily to my surprise Ayaan Mukerji was one step ahead, a rarity for Indian makers, and actually when onto explain that she indeed is meant to be a much more matured person then him in their respective characters. Phew!
In fact that was the film’s biggest strength, the fact that the maker gave some of the tiniest things a lot of importance and was very thorough in his film making process. Attention to detail. For example, you see Ranbir buying a shirt in the Kya Karoon song in the shopping centre, and immediately in the consequent scene you see him partying in the same t-shirt. That is continuation my friend! (Last time I witnessed such defined continuation was in Socha Na Tha where you see a clothing piece hanging in Abhay’s room which he’d worn in a previous scene).
Now coming to the critique...truly I do not have any. Usually when I am watching a film a lot of things will pop out and annoy the heck out of me but with WUS I just sat and enjoyed every moment of it. The performances, the flawless screenplay, the thought provoking and well thought out script. More than anything it was not over-the-top production like Karan’s productions are. Infact it was realistic make up, clothes and most importantly, a Desi location! See Karan that wasn’t too hard! The best part of it all, you saw characters repeating clothes! I don’t think that ever happens in Indian cinema’s history. Now I don’t know whether Karan went bankrupt for a day or did he just have an epiphany that in real life people don’t walk around in new brand names every day, we in fact do repeat clothes as weird as that sounds! See what I mean by no critique, even such minor details were taken care off for once!
To top it all off you had two of the most sensational actors the country has seen performing two of their best performances till date. Ranbir’s naturalness astonished me in each and every scene. Actually I still remain astonished at how natural the guy is! Its like for the duration of the film Sid and him were non different. You simply forget that its Ranbir behind that character, all you care and know about is Sid. In addition there is Konkona who’s talents my words are not enough to express. All I can say is that in my opinion she is the best we’ve got today in terms of female leads in Hindi cinema.
So all in all I think this is really one of those times that I stumped by a film. I really don’t have anything to criticise! Its just a simple film, with simple characters but combined in an extraordinarily perfect manner! Ayaan Mukerji take a bow because indeed you’ve achieved something that no one has in my books in the year of 2009 and in general you’ve given a film of such a calibre that even some of the established makers of the fraternity a yet to attain. Oh gosh that’s sort of embarrassing as well as exhilarating at the same time that I don’t have anything bad to say. I swear this is a first for me! And so it goes without saying that this is one of those films that is a must watch. Its more than just award worthy, critical acclaim worthy or commercial success worthy. Wake Up Sid goes beyond all these forms of praise and truly is credible enough to be edged in our minds forever.