Next time when a star son gets a chance to get an author-backed role, let's not criticize. That's because if he actually goes on to come up with as perfect act as seen in “Wake Up Sid”, there is no reason why one should really be looking around for someone else.

Ranbir Kapoor comes up with an orderly, simple and realistic performance. When most actors would have been happy to establish their standing in Bollywood with a typical romantic hero role, Ranbir is anything but a hero here.

This is why he allows himself to be treated as a ‘kid' by Konkona Sen Sharma, who by the way is happy to play a woman five years elder to him. However, there is this special something which brews between them that pretty much gives the true meaning of a platonic relationship.

There are five things that make “Wake Up Sid” a pleasant affair. It has a constant flow throughout; no over the top or understated drama; no ultra emotional strangulation of viewers; absolutely no yuppie cool guy act; and last but not the least, this is an original and energizing tale.

While the movie actually becomes really interesting in the second half, the first half facilitates a sufficient groundwork for the story to progress. There are bitter sweet moments in the first half as well but one still wishes for that extra something to kick start that would make “Wake Up Sid” go beyond a regular “coming of age” movie.

This is where young director Ayan Mukerji's writing comes in handy because unlike a conventional film, he doesn't just bring a spin in Sid's character by throwing a song to bring in that ‘overnight transformation'.

He keeps it soft and subtle starting from something as simple as Sid learning how to prepare an omelette, keep his comic books stacked, prepare his own bed and of course, earn his very first cheque.

By the time he returns to his dad (Anupam Kher in a short but effective role), you realize that the destination was eventually met even as the voyage wasn't quite ‘on your face' or ‘over the top'.

In the meantime Konkona gets yet another complex role for herself. She is brilliant. Watch out for her in the interview scene or the outbreak when Ranbir decides to go back to his parents' house. Her frustration in certain scenes with Ranbir is totally believable too and so are the tender ways in which she looks after him.

The supporting cast fits in well too. The young man who plays Rishi (Namit Das - last seen in “The President Is Coming” as Ramesh) is just natural. Kashmira Shah, in her four-scene act, is a pleasant surprise while Rahul Khanna is honest in the limited footage.

While “Wake Up Sid” would of course increase Ranbir's stock in months to come, it would be noticed in a major way for Mukerji's script sense and direction. He makes the kind of debut that made Farhan Akhtar hot property after “Dil Chahta Hai”.

Overall, it is a good film to see something fresh in present remake trend of Hollywood films.