Yo Yo Honey Singh: Famous, a documentary on the life of the rapper-singer is out. Unfortunately, the sole thing intriguing about it remains its teaser which dropped recently and made tall claims that this would be a ‘tell-all’. (Also read: Honey Singh recalls โwishing for death’ as he talks about fighting mental illness in his documentary)
Directed by Mozez Singh, known for directing the series Human, and produced by Guneet Monga, who has backed offbeat content, the story of Yo Yo has great potential.
A Delhi boy with humble beginnings goes on to become someone who left a big mark on the Indian music scene- the audience laps up a good underdog story. The docu starts off with footage of his teen days- and establishes a promising note instantly.
Nothing new to offer
However, it all just feels a bit tilted in Singhโs favour. The line of questioning seems to be something straight out of a typical masala film. The biggest controversies Honey found himself in, including being credited for the expletive-laden song โCh*tโ are touched upon- and immediately brushed aside when Singh says โI didnโt make itโ. Well, he has said the same in the past, too, in countless interviews. What makes this docu any different then?
Same goes for the rumour about actor Shah Rukh Khan allegedly slapping Yo Yo during a concert tour. Yo Yo and his sister simply say โunhone nahi maara thaโ- he has already claimed the same in the past as well. As for the bipolar diagnosis he received- he says โaaj tak kisi ko nahi bataya kya hua thaโ- except he has been open about it all these years, and kudos to him for that.
Thereโs nothing revelatory about Yo Yo Honey Singh: Famous. One doesnโt come away learning something new or surprising about the person in question. Yes, his familyโs appearance does make it more human. Honey breaking down as he recalls being at home, jobless, does tug at oneโs heart, so does the family’s helplessness as they grappled with his deteriorating mental health at one point.
The big misses
Random sequences like a โsuper fanโ suddenly meeting the rapper on the roads at night and crying as he sings for her- that feeling of it being staged further brings down the credibility. When asked about his controversial divorce from Shalini some time back, Singh simply says โWe have signed a MoU so I canโt talk about itโ I wonder then whatโs the point of this Docu apart from merely being a compilation of things the singer has already revealed in the past.
For example, thereโs nothing about Mafia Mundeer apart from a fleeting mention when talking about a controversial song.
Overall, Yo Yo Honey Singh: Famous could have been so much more. But itโs reduced to being a whitewashing attempt, much like Sanju, which aims at only glorifying the subject, rather than being an objective take.
