Wake Up Sid - produced by Karan Johar's Dharma Productions - stars Ranbir Kapoor and Konkona Sen Sharma in the lead roles. Featuring such an unlikely couple, the film's trailers have echoes of Dil Chahta Hai all over it, with the film on a boy who just doesn't want to grow up. But the fun trailers and young, urban vibe of the film all play out in the film's score - done by composers known for that young, cosmopolitan sound - Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy.
 The only good thing about the soundtrack is that it is easy listening - the songs are catchy and can squarely be placed into the genre of feel-good pop music. The problem though, is that the music will sound extremely familiar - in a good way - to listeners of contemporary Western pop. Take 'Kya Karoon' - a song about confusion and youthful angst - that plays over a country music beat. Take the Indian lyrics away and you could be listening to anything produced in the West. The title track, 'Wake Up Sid!' could serve as a perfect morning alarm (the reviewer has tried this out and reports this as a successful tactic) with its cute lyrics and loud, drum-infused chorus imploring Sid to (obviously) wake up. The lyrics will hit home with everyone who finds themself hitting the snooze alarm one time too many or being yelled at for not getting out of bed on time.
The other songs are as youth-infused; from 'Aaj Kal Zindagi' that reminds one of the 'Kaisi Hai Yeh Rut' from Dil Chahta Hai - but is more optimistic - with its lyrics delving into the questions all 20-somethings find themselves asking on sleepless nights, or the upbeat 'Life is Crazy' which is one of the weaker songs on this short score. The album also features Shankar Mahadevan on three of the songs: 'Aaj Kal Zindagi', 'Life is Crazy' and 'Wake Up Sid!'.
The standout song of the Wake Up Sid soundtrack is definitely 'Iktara'. It is proof of the influence Pakistani musicians have had on Bollywood because songs like these are usually credited to artists like Rahat Fateh Ali Khan or Shafqat Amanat Ali. Sung primarily by Kavita Seth with a chorus by Amitabh Bhattacharya, the song is inherently soulful and may go unnoticed because its a departure from the album's upbeat mood, but deserves to be heard on repeat. It is also promising to see composers Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy delving into another genre instead of doing the run-off-the-mill disco numbers.
What makes Wake Up Sid 'different' from all the other Bollywood soundtracks to have been released this year is that while the sound may seem recycled for pop listeners, it is new for Indian film music, which generally feature a slew of dance numbers and the occasional love ballad. But the young, hip vibe to the Wake Up Sid score should definitely strike a chord with the young, hip generation this film is geared towards. The lyrics speak of everyday problems and angst and perpetual confusion. Interestingly enough, the songs all have that 'I've just learnt to play the guitar' simplistic feel that is so characteristic of university years, but the songs have the finesse that those amateur songs lack.
In a nutshell, while the album lacks any brilliance or masala, the Wake Up Sid soundtrack is perfect to listen to on a rainy day, on a depressed afternoon (as a pick-me-up, not to make you suicidal) and while you're stuck in traffic (again, so you don't get suicidal).
- Saba Imtiaz
*****Get it NOW!
****Just get it
***Maybe maybe not
**Just download the best song
*Forget that this was made |
