By Ayushie Shahane

Image: Ayushie Shahane

Mumbai.

Bombay. 

Bambai.

A city of paradoxes – with its rustic gargoyles and salty waves and piping hot vada pav – that has inspired filmmakers through all ages of Bollywood, giving rise to cult classics like Shree 420 (1955), Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron (1983), The Lunchbox (2013), and Gully Boy (2019). In films like these, the city is not merely reduced to a setting, but shines through as a character that grows, evolves and gets molded into different identities, interacting with all those around it and consequently, shaping them too. Such is the case of Ayan Mukerji’s directorial debut, Wake Up Sid, an ode to this city of dreams serving as the perfect catalyst for this love story of two dreamers, using them as a lens to showcase the city in new lights. 

Sid’s view of the city is one of home. To him, the city isn’t old, but it’s lived-in, with the graffiti strewn alleys and hidden walkways tainted by memories. He knows every nook and cranny of the city like the back of his hand and this shows in his first meeting with Aisha. Immediately, he ropes Aisha into a walk as he begins rambling about the beauties of the city with a light in his eyes, going on about the quieter cooler nights when the din of traffic is but a fading memory. Sid is already in love with the city, for he’s seen every shade of it, from the fables and fairytales to the bleak bitter parts that get swept up under the carpet; and while he takes a lot in his life for granted, his love for Mumbai shows in the way he speaks about it. 

In complete contrast stands Aisha, whose Mumbai is unblemished and full of dreams and aspirations: of independence, of a break from the monotony, and of a chance to make it big. When she tells this to Sid, he doesn’t understand. “Like a holiday?” Sid asks. “No, not like a holiday. Like, like life,” Aisha replies. That is what the city means to her, a shot at leaving her old life behind to start afresh, to live a life of her choosing – the way she sees fit. Aisha’s view of Mumbai is tinged with expectations, so while she’s afraid that she’s just moved to a new city with no friends, family, or job, she knows that there is so much she wants to do that there won’t be any time for fear.

Through the film, both characters’ perspectives leave an impression on the other, teaching them a bit about life and about themselves in the process. Aisha’s hustle and passion to make something of herself, pushes Sid to realize his own passion in life. His passion for photography also reflects his love for the city, though this time, he sees it with Aisha’s sense of opportunity, rather than simply as his home. Roaming in the by lanes of Ranwar village, Sid learns to capture the city in his lens as he interns with “Mumbai Beat,” showing him his own home in a way he never saw before. Conversely, Aisha starts off the film as extremely goal oriented, so much so that when Sid asks her why she thinks they didn’t fall in love, she tells him she couldn’t fall for someone as immature as him. However, Sid’s laid-back perspective on life grows on Aisha, as she realizes that being mature isn’t all that it’s made out to be. When she goes to a jazz concert with her boss, he comments on her saying, “You know Aisha, tumhari writing mein maturity hai, but I think tum mein ab bhi thoda bachpana hai.” This is when Aisha is confronted with the fact that maybe she herself is not as mature as she had assumed. However, it is her time spent with Sid that teaches her to accept and own up to it, as she realizes the joys of immaturity. 

Bobbing in and out through these moments of internal turmoil are cinematic outdoor sequences that capture the beauty of the city as it evolves with the growing love in between the pair. Aisha and Sid’s very first meeting starts with a night walk past Metro cinema, and ends up on Marine Drive, where Aisha talks about the beauty of the sea, and how important it is to Mumbai. “Samundar humesha special raha hai na, Bombay ke liye? I guess I can see why. Iss sheher mein jahan har waqt sab kuch badalta rehta hai, bas ek samundar hi toh hai jo nahi badalta. Humesha yahin rehta hai. It’s beautiful.” The writer in Aisha finds a perfect home in Mumbai, a city so inherently romantic that it inspires poetic words, words that come to life in her article for the “Mumbai Beat,” where Mukerji takes the time to point out that much of the allure of Mumbai comes from the people who live there, that the romanticism of the city is also the romanticism of its inhabitants. Aisha writes about her newfound love for the city, and her newfound love for the first friend she made there. “Ab jaanti hoon, ki Mumbai sheher se jo mera ajeeb pyaar hai, woh actually iss dost ke liye hai. Wo bhi mera apna ho gaya hai, iss sheher se bhi zyada apna.” Aisha concludes her article, and the film, with a subtly sweet declaration of love for the city and for her companion in it. The film ends on a similar note, with the two reuniting in the aforementioned Mumbai monsoon at Nariman Point, by the constant sea. They don’t kiss, they don’t have to, their love for each other shows in the way they embrace each other, finally finding a home in each other, and in the city. They wouldn’t dare to let go of either one again.

This film came out fourteen years ago, in 2009; I was a mere five years old when my dad took me to a small theater in Totem Lake, Washington, which would show Hindi films. Since then, I’ve probably watched this film hundreds of times, enough to be able to dictate lines as I’m watching through. It’s become a comfort film of sorts, as well as a roadmap for what I wish my life would be like. Mukerji’s view of Mumbai shaped my own view of the city. Despite not living in India yet, Mumbai had become home for me, I knew I’d never be able to live anywhere else. Sitting at Marine Drive with a small cup of chai became my idea of a perfect night out, and Aisha’s dream of becoming a writer in the city became my own as well; seems fitting that my first ever article is about this film. Wake Up Sid showed me the beauties of Mumbai that aren’t talked about as much, outside the typical tourist spots. It showed me the lanes of Bandra and building terraces with city views, and the quiet thrumming of the city at night. I still hope to celebrate one of my birthdays at midnight, in Aisha Banerjee fashion, “tum, main, aur do cup chai.” So much of who I am, and my love for this city, comes from this film.

Mukerji’s Mumbai gave Sid a sense of self, it gave Aisha a new home, and it gave me a film that I would come back to, time and time again, anytime I felt homesick for my Mumbai.