13 Years of Wake Up Sid: Ranbir Kapoor, Ayan Mukerji’s film is an ode to misguided youth

In Ayan Mukerji’s directorial debut Wake Up Sid (2009), when Aisha says, "Iss sheher mein jahaan har waqt sab kuch badalta rehta hai...bas ek samundar hi toh hai jo nahi badalta," it is almost equivalent to saying that the generations of millennials and Gen-Z may change with the passing years, but the essence of youth never changes. It’s messy, clueless, and restless, and the Ranbir Kapoor, Konkona Sensharma starrer film captures the essence of the mindless and misunderstood youth, which lacks direction but comes to terms with it once they start exploring themselves with the help of the people around them.

Let's take a look back at the film as it recently clocked 13 years of its release.

Wake Up Sid features Ranbir Kapoor as Sidharth Mehra, a clueless and aimless rich lad, who takes his privileged life for granted. The very first shot gives us a peek into his life, which is messy, disorganised, and snobbish. He is just like any other aimless adult who lives in his own bubble. The background music and songs in the film effectively explain his unsaid emotions with lyrics like "Life is crazy" or the title track of the film, "Wake Up Sid," which is his surrounding world asking him to take the lead in life and find his ambition; in essence, asking him to WAKE UP!!!

The film, through its course, does not only portray Sid’s aimlessness and him eventually overpowering his obstacles; it is more than that. Wake Up Sid might just be one of the few films that beautifully capture the essence of youth, making it relatable,and full of emotions.

The world is against us

The film captures how teenagers often think of themselves to be the epicentre of grief and sadness, that the whole world is against them, but the truth is that everybody is struggling, and nobody’s life is perfect. Sidharth’s friends deal with body image issues and relationship troubles while he is too engrossed in his own world.The film stays true to the characters and does not try to portray something that is far away from reality.

Getting to know yourself better

Another aspect that the film has tried to bring to light is the anxiety of finding yourself through your work, to have an aim, a career in life. Sidharth becomes the odd one out when he is the only non-serious member of the group who eventually fails in his exam and does not even want to join his father’s company as it is not "his thing". He is a man-child who is still living on his father’s money and has not even explored what he wants to do in life.

Sidharth is passionate about two things: photography and Mumbai rains. His eyes shine whenever he talks about these two. The film eventually connects his life with both of his passions, and that brings about a major turnaround in his life. Another message that the film tries to convey to the young audience is to not be bound by the shackles of society’s stereotypical norms but to do what excites and inspires them, make their own way and never to stop having fun while doing so. Sid, too, only looks within when things go haywire. It's how sometimes things work out.

Hold on to friendships when nothing goes as planned

The film is presented as a roller-coaster ride in Sid’s life, as he goes through different obstacles, but that is what life is, right? He makes his way through all those hurdles with the support of Aisha, his family, and his friends. He moves out of his father’s house and takes shelter under Aisha’s humble abode, gets a job through her connection, and turns his life around when others least expect it.

Finding your true inspiration

You can find inspiration in the most unexpected of places; sometimes it's an event, or sometimes it becomes a person. Sidharth meets his exact opposite, Aisha, at his college farewell party. A Bengali girl from Calcutta, with an ambition to become independent and a writer, everything that Sidharth does not understand. They bond despite their differences and find inspiration in each other. They both start living and working together, only to realise later that their love for each other is what inspired them.

Family matters

A major part of our teenage years goes into having conflicts and rifts with our family. Sid too is distant from his family, only to realise that his mother’s (Supriya Pathak Kapur) poor English was an attempt to come closer to him and his passion for photography is something he inherited from his father’s (Anupam Kher) attempts to capture his childhood in pictures.

The film is not just an ode to the misguided youth but also takes a jab at wealthy privileges, existential crisis, and the difficulties of making a living on your own. It also paints a realistic picture of grief and highlights that failure is not the end of the world, a little emotional support from our loved ones can go a long way, and genuine friendships are worth holding onto. And in the end, one must find what inspires them. The trick is to never stop believing, and you will realise that true bliss lies in starting from scratch and enjoying the journey toward the goal.

It felt like a fresh breath of air, watching the movie after thirteen years. I remember the film established Ranbir Kapoor as an actor and Ayan Mukerji as a successful director. The film did wonders for both of their careers and has now become one of the most revisited movies. One thing is for sure, you will learn something new every time you watch it.