'Famous' review: Honey Singh gets candid in entertaining documentary
What's the story
Before Diljit Dosanjh, there was Honey Singh!
From selling out concerts to working with Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, and Amitabh Bachchan—you name it, and Singh has done it.
The faster the ascent, the harsher the fall, and Netflix's Yo Yo Honey Singh: Famous probes Singh's whirlwind rise, crashing fall, and in-process comeback.
Fame is a double-edged sword, and Singh's journey proves it.
Background
Covers Singh's life, work, controversies
How did Hirdesh Singh, who lived in a windowless house in Karampura for 24 years, rise so rapidly that he inspired an entire generation of artists?
Famous traces Singh's journey from Karampura to India-wide domination, and lays bare his vulnerabilities, fears, and insecurities, while also focusing on his struggle with bipolar disorder and infamous legal controversies.
Singh's long-standing fan? Famous is tailor-made for you.
#1
We understand him better through exploration of his early years
The documentary is at its sharpest when it showcases Singh's early years.
A sense of truthful honesty shines through when Singh speaks about the times before he became a phenomenon with back-to-back hits like Angreji Beat and Brown Rang.
For instance, he shows the small room where he created Glassy, obviously not knowing that his success story will begin from such a nondescript place.
#2
Singh's mother is a delightful presence
Singh's mother has a beautiful glimpse in the trailer where she hums Glassy's tune, and we learn more about her and her relationship with Singh in Famous.
From the sense of pride on her face to the tears in her eyes when Singh's life takes a downward turn—director Mozez Singh's documentary captures it all.
His father, though, disappointingly, doesn't feature as often.
#3
Never a dull moment in the documentary
Famous remains peppy and upbeat (thus mirroring Singh's songs), and the camera follows him while he shoots, raps, writes, and collaborates with the who's who of the music industry.
He speaks about "having dreams" despite living in a house which looked like a "train box," and then the scene cuts to people going gaga over Singh.
He saw big dreams, and he made it.
#4
A different side of the singer-rapper
Singh's tough veneer crashes down completely and we are offered a more humane, vulnerable side of the rapper, who candidly speaks about his sudden disappearance from the limelight.
Famous teems with somber scenes: Singh speaks about fearing his parents' death, talks about his wish to be cremated at a particular cremation ground, and reveals how his paranoia once completely consumed him.
#5
Despite Singh's upsetting past, the documentary maintains a hopeful tone
Perhaps Singh's journey mirrors Icarus's in how he witnessed unprecedented heights of fame and seemingly once had no competition.
But then, doing three to four shows a day, exhausting himself, submitting himself to alcohol and drugs took an eventual toll, and his life—both personal and professional—crashed.
Famous, though, doesn't want to weep over the past; instead, it celebrates that Singh rose like a phoenix.
#6
Negatives: Its fictional aspects spoil the experience
However, for all its entertainment quotient, the documentary is far from perfect.
The voiceovers over news reports are contrived and come across as fake and quite mechanical, and you really have to suspend your disbelief while listening to them.
These parts necessitated better research.
A similar problem happens toward the end when the documentary feels too filmy, too fictional.
#7
The controversies are hardly explored
Another problem that dampens the experience is its portrayal of the controversies that corroded Singh's life.
We get half-baked, borderline silly justifications from him about the vulgarity in his songs, and the documentary doesn't seem too interested in the topic.
The domestic violence allegations by his ex-wife Shalini are mentioned but dropped within minutes, leaving us none the wiser on the topic.
Verdict
Makes for a good weekend watch; 3/5 stars
At one point, Singh looks back on his pre-fame life in Karampura, and says, "Mujhe tab bhi sab jaante they, aaj bhi sab jaante hain."
That encapsulates Singh's attitude—he is ready to fall, but he promises to rise again.
His rise was meteoric, and the crash slapped him right in the face, but despite everything, he remains resilient, and of course, famous!
3/5 stars.