Coming up with a logline for my film felt like trying to caption a blurry selfie — nothing sounded right, and everything felt way too dramatic for what was, at its core, a very confused teenager just... existing. So instead of forcing it, I went down a rabbit hole of films: both Hollywood and Bollywood, that get what it’s like to be stuck in that limbo where your childhood’s over but your future hasn’t loaded yet. I wanted to see how other stories captured that floaty, chaotic, late-night-overthinking energy.
Hollywood Inspirations:
Lady Bird (2017) "A teenager navigates a turbulent relationship with her strong-willed mother while trying to find her own identity and escape her hometown."What stood out to me was: It captures both the need to break free and the deep emotional ties that make growing up complicated. It’s personal without being small.
Trailer:Â Lady Bird | Official Trailer HD | A24
The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012) "An introverted freshman is taken under the wings of two seniors who welcome him to the real world."What stood out to me was: It makes the smallest social gestures — like being noticed — feel life-changing. That quiet emotional weight is something I wanted to carry into my own story.
Trailer:Â The Perks of Being a Wallflower Official Trailer #1 (2012) - Emma Watson Movie HD
Eighth Grade (2018) "An introverted teenage girl tries to survive the last week of her disastrous eighth-grade year before leaving to start high school."What stood out to me was: It's not about big events — it's about how big small things feel at that age. That zoomed-in honesty is something I want in Sid’s story too.Â
Bollywood Inspirations:
Taare Zameen Par (2007) "An eight-year-old boy is thought to be lazy and a troublemaker, until a new art teacher discovers he has dyslexia and helps him find his voice through creativity."What stood out to me was: The film isn’t just about a learning disorder — it’s about misunderstood potential. I liked how art and expression become a lifeline, and how someone’s inner world can be miles away from what others see.Trailer: Trailer - Taare Zameen Par, Like Stars on Earth - Official Trailer
Tamasha (2015) "A man who lives a routine life starts to question his identity after meeting a free-spirited woman who reminds him of the storyteller he used to be."What stood out to me was: It’s about masks — the ‘normal’ version of us we perform, versus the strange, creative, chaotic self underneath. That’s exactly the tension Sid is in.Trailer: Tamasha Official Trailer | Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone | Sajid Nadiadwala | Imtiaz Ali
Udaan (2010) "After being expelled from boarding school, a teenager returns home to his abusive father and dreams of becoming a writer." What stood out to me was: It doesn’t sugarcoat anything. It shows how painful growing up can be, and how dreams survive even in suffocating places.Trailer: Udaan - Official Trailer (HQ)
And then I remembered Wake Up Sid.
Not because it’s the same as my story, but because it captures that in-between feeling so well: the boredom, the creativity, the quiet rebellion, the slow realisation that maybe you’re not broken; maybe you’re just not built for the path everyone else is on.
Trailer:Â Wake Up Sid Trailer
Final Logline (for my film):
A chronically distracted teen dodges textbooks, future plans, and self-reflection — until one late-night study session spirals into a quiet reckoning with everything he’s been avoiding.
And that’s why I went with that. Because sometimes, all it takes is one night, one camera, or one existential crisis to start figuring yourself out.
