‘Yo Yo Honey Singh: Famous’ Review: Strictly for Fans of the Controversial Rapper! (LatestLY Exclusive)

Yo Yo Honey Singh Famous Review: Somewhere in the middle of Netflix's Yo Yo Honey Singh: Famous, the singer casually mentions that he's doing the documentary for his fans. Fair enough, but what about those of us who have never been, nor plan to be his fans? (Present company included) Can this documentary captivate the sceptics? That's where Yo Yo Honey Singh: Famous stumbles - attempting to navigate the murkier aspects of Honey Singh's life and career but ultimately landing as more of a soft redemption exercise than a genuine exploration. ‘Yo Yo Honey Singh: Famous’ Documentary To Stream on Netflix From December 20; An In-Depth Look at the Rapper’s Journey.

Directed by Mozez Singh (Zubaan) and produced by Guneet Monga’s Sikhya Entertainment, Yo Yo Honey Singh: Famous features the director himself as the offscreen interviewer, asking those supposedly “tough” questions that comes with answers that feel a little too prepared.

Honey Singh is undeniably an intriguing figure to explore in a documentary. A few years ago, he was the poster boy of Punjabi rap, dominating the Indian music scene with tracks like "Blue Eyes" and "Brown Rang", and becoming a Bollywood favourite with hits like "Lungi Dance" from Chennai Express. (Side note: While catchy, the song "Lungi Dance" still holds a masterclass in cringe-worthy stereotyping.)

At his peak, Honey Singh was everywhere, only to suddenly vanish from the public eye. His mysterious hiatus baffled fans, leaving space for contemporaries like Badshah and Guru Randhawa to rise in his absence. While the documentary touches on his comeback and his attempts to regain relevance, it acknowledges—rightly so—that his second innings lacks the legacy-defining impact of his earlier days.

Watch the Trailer of 'Yo Yo Honey Singh: Famous':

The problem? The documentary feels more like a loyal hype-man than a critical observer. Despite its efforts to incorporate voices from fans, critics, and detractors (including gender-activists), Yo Yo Honey Singh: Famous ultimately serves as a one-sided narrative, carefully curated to paint its subject in a sympathetic light. You even have Salman Khan to hype him up (possibly shot during Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan shoot days when Honey Singh had crooned a track for the movie). Shah Rukh Khan gives it a miss, though, even though a crucial portion of the documentary involves him.

As with most celebrity-backed documentaries, it dutifully chronicles Singh's “humble beginnings” and meteoric rise, peppered with anecdotes about his chart-toppers. To his credit, Honey Singh remains unapologetically himself—whether it’s his colourful language, controversial lyrics, or casual sexism (see his on-camera quip about how a shoot went better thanks to the presence of more female performers). But the documentary often expects viewers to be on his wavelength, even when his actions or words feel decidedly off-key.

'Yo Yo Honey Singh: Famous' Review - The Big Three Controversies

The documentary addresses three major controversies:

1. The “Main Balatkari Hoon” and “Ch**t” song controversies

Singh vehemently denies penning these offensive lyrics, though he was dragged into endless court cases in the aftermath of the Nirbhaya case outrage.

2. The alleged Shah Rukh Khan slapping incident

This is where the documentary shows a glimmer of depth, exploring Honey Singh’s struggles with mental health. He shares details about his battles with bipolar disorder, attributing his breakdown to fame and work pressure. While commendable for shedding light on mental health, these revelations feel slightly over-dramatised, leaving a lingering sense of PR damage control.

3. Domestic abuse allegations by his ex-wife, Shalini Talwar

Singh treads lightly here, citing a mutual agreement to remain silent aka MOU. However, he and his family drop enough hints to subtly deflect blame onto the other side. Since MOU also gives the documentary the excuse not to interview the ex-wife, we won't really know what the other side has to hint about this.

'Yo Yo Honey Singh: Famous' Review - Flashes of Authenticity, But Not Enough

The documentary’s most engaging moments lie in Singh’s candid discussion of his mental health struggles. These instances offer a rare glimpse of vulnerability, a welcome departure from the larger-than-life bravado. Yet, much of this ground has already been covered in Singh’s past interviews, making the documentary feel redundant as a “tell-all.”

Adding to the frustration is the shaky execution. Contrived fan encounters, melodramatic voice-overs, and a manipulative focus on Singh’s personal life (cue loving son/sibling montages) hinder the documentary’s potential to be a meaningful exploration of his controversies and legacy. And yes, Badshah is only so fleetingly mentioned.

'Yo Yo Honey Singh: Famous' Review - Final Thoughts

While Yo Yo Honey Singh: Famous attempts to balance celebration with introspection, it neither fully embraces nor adequately challenges its subject. The documentary briefly acknowledges the misogyny and problematic undertones in Singh’s work but glosses over them with dismissive whataboutery. For fans, Yo Yo Honey Singh: Famous is a love letter that may resonate. For the unconverted, it’s more of a skippable footnote. Yo Yo Honey Singh: Famous is streaming on Netflix.

(The opinions expressed in the above article are of the author and do not reflect the stand or position of LatestLY.)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 20, 2024 01:49 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).