Karan Johar’s niche film continues to rock the plexes
Published by
Webmaster
at 01:37:20 pm on October 18, 2009
Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions has done it again. Their latest offering, Ayan Mukherjee’s Wake Up Sid, has struck gold at the boxoffice. “I’m genuinely thrilled,’’ Karan said, explaining that this ‘slice of life’ film is a departure from the usual fare that his banner has so far been known for. “It wasn’t opulent, it was
shot in Mumbai, it was a tiny film about nothing and yet it says so much,’’ added Karan.
“It is usually believed that in Bollywood only melodrama, confrontation and over-thetop emotions work. And look, our audiences have proved us wrong. They have patronised Sid in a way that is unbelievable,’’ said Karan who’s humbled by the number of text messages, emails and live reactions he got from people “almost all of whom have connected with the film in some way or the other. Youngsters who are in the Sid-phase have loved the film; those who are in their 30s — and have been there and done that, have also liked it; and even parents with a Sid at home are relating to it.’’
Trade analyst Taran Adarsh feels the savvy release pattern for Wake up Sid did the trick. He said, “Karan and UTV sensibly released just around 350-400 prints in the multiplexes across metros and they are now reaping a huge dividend.’’ According to Taran, “Sid is a rock star… the film has found a cult following in metros. What’s more, Ranbir Kapoor is definitely the next big thing. He is like a breath of fresh air. He is not trying to ape Aamir Khan or Shah Rukh Khan. And, though his father Rishi Kapoor is one of the best actors in Bollywood, Ranbir isn’t trying to be a Rishi clone. As an actor Ranbir has his own distinct style.”
The star of the moment is gratified with all the praise. Reacting to talk of him being the next superstar, Ranbir said, “Well, I’m happy and humbled. And much as I would like to, I can’t say the film worked only because of me. Look at it this way, I had an authorbacked role and it was Sid the character that carried me through rather than the other way around.’’ The young actor is also very happy for his best friend Ayan Mukerji without whose conviction he feels Sid wouldn’t have been the adorable guy he is. “Ayan is extremely talented and I’m genuinely indebted to Karan and Ayan for giving me this film. If you make cinema from the heart it usually works. That’s what all of us involved with Sid did.”
