Wake Up Sid is a 2009 Bollywood movie directed by newcomer Ayan Mukherji, produced by Karan Johar, and starring Ranbir Kapoor and Konkona Sen Sharma. The low-key plot follows spoiled rich kid Sid Mehra's attempts to mature and make his way in the world after his parents cut him off from the family wealth. During this time he befriends and becomes the roommate of Aisha, a determined young woman, who is similarly trying to find a career in Mumbai. Together they deal with the issues that arise from living together, find jobs they are content with and come to terms with their growing romantic attraction to one another.
A successful movie in India, it is a good showcase for the acting skills of both leads as well as some new trends in Bollywood in general.
Contains the following tropes:
- Age-Appropriate Angst: Sid starts out pretty annoying, but many of his character failings are likely due to age. It's unlikely the audience would be as sympathetic if he were older and still such a slacker.
- All Take and No Give: Sid and Aisha's roommate relationship for a while, until Aisha tells him that making lunch for her one time doesn't negate him contributing nothing to the rent and being a total slob.
- Brilliant, but Lazy: Sid is quite smart, but never motivated to do something he is disinterested in.
- Career Versus Man: Subverted. Aisha's problems with her initial love interest relate to him being a music snob rather than anything career related.
- Caught in the Rain: When Sid and Aisha confess that they love each other.
- Comingof Age Story
- He Is Not My Boyfriend: Aisha explaining her relationship with Sid to Sid's mother.
- "I Am" Song: The Title track, in fact.
- Inadequate Inheritor: Sid's father wants his to work for his company. Sid isn't so crazy about the idea, but too passive-aggressive to discuss this with his father or look for an alternate job.
- Avoids treating Sid's father as a villain because his father is proud and happy once Sid finds a true career path as a photographer.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Sid fails all of his classes, doesn't appreciate his family, and is a horrible roommate at first. It's a good thing he's genuinely kind and eventually learns from his mistakes when called out.
- Just Friends: They're both insistent on this while living together.
- Love Epiphany
- Manchild: Sid's biggest flaw. While the film is sympathetic to the circumstances that have led to Sid acting this way, the movie also focuses on his gradual journey away from this stage in his life.
- Minor Flaw, Major Breakup: Aisha briefly wants to date Kabir...until it turns out that they have different tastes in music.
- One Head Taller: Koknona Sen Sharma is much shorter than Ranbir Kapoor.
- Plucky Girl: Aisha needed to be pretty damn optimistic and determined to head to Mumbai with no assurances that she'd actually find a job while there.
- Sleep Cute
- Starving Artist: Sort of averted. Aisha and Sid have a very nice apartment for having so little money.
- True Companions: Sid has these though it's hinted that their closeness may be fading away as they get older.
