After watching theater prints for years, I finally gave it up. Most of the prints were so bad, that even a good movie left a bad taste in the mouth. Finally, last month, when I couldn't get a bad print for Kaminey, I eventually ended up watching the original DVD, and it was an eye opening experience. Hands down, I decided not to watch the bad prints anymore. Rest of the desi popultion (big part of which came from the VCR era from of the 80s) never complains though and in fact many of them are ok with watching an even worse print on the internet to save a few bucks, but that doesn't whet the appetite of a movie afficiando like me. The point anyways is that the dvd shops typically dont buy the original because by the time the original arrives all desi junta has already watched the movie and there is no demand for the orignal.
So, eventually I looked up a few desi online dvd rental companies but none offered a plan that would fit my need. Finally, the old timer netflix saved the day for me. A few years ago, it would take months for the new desi dvd to arrive here, but now when I looked it up, they had all the new and old titles. Nothing could be more exhilarting for me. Both hindi and english movies coming from the same place at a convenient plan of 9$ a month with an extra buck for bluray format. I am back in the movie paradise. Of course, now I have to wait for several months before I can watch '3 idiots.'
The first desi movie I ordered was 'Wake up Sid'. What a print!! We were swept off the floor by the sheer clarity of Mumbai shots as watched on our 46 inch widescreen tv with bluray player that upconverted dvd to 1080p format, and displayed amazing stillness, beautiful colors and contrast that dazzled the eyes. The best of the shots were the one on marine drive at night time. At once, I got transported back in time, when in 1992, I stood on the shores of Arabian sea at Chowpatty, my first day in ‘Bombay’. Looking across the ocean, ornamented by the lights of the Queens Necklace, I had found the tall Air India building surreal. Now, that's the magic of a good print.
As for the movie, as the title suggests, it's the story of Sid who has been living in a fool's paradise thanks to pampering by his dad who shows him out of the house when he refuses to act responsibly, and then how he wakes up and comes to the realization of true life. I am too old to have my emotions stirred by the movie, but I am sure it’s appreciated by teens, but the fact that the movie is directed by a teenager makes it appreciable. Music is uninspiring, too, except for the Ek tara song that once again is composed by the man of Dev D, Amit Trivedi. Worth watching is ‘kya karoon’ that sounds good, has got good lyrics and succeeds in showcasing the carefree life of Sid and friends and gives goosebumps here and there. Otherwise, it's a pass, I think.
