The Most Interesting Person in the Room Review: ‘The Most Interesting’ Bit in This Netflix Special Is When Kenny Sebastian Picks Up the Guitar

The Most Interesting Person In The Room Review: Popular standup comedian Kenny Sebastian makes his Netflix debut with this one-hour special. Kenny is a pretty funny guy so I was eagerly waiting for this one to drop in on the streaming platform. In the past, fellow comedians like Vir Das have done good on the platform, and Kenny has the potential to go down the same route with the immense potential the platform offers. The important thing being, he should have the most interesting material to make us laugh. Kenny Sebastian on Breaking Rules in Stand-up Comedy and Finding Self-worth.

That he does, as Kenny talks about his schooling to Kendriya Vidyalaya to the misfortunes of an ostrich as a bird. There are moments in the standup that you can totally relate to. Like being a passout from a Government school, I can empathise with his woes when Kenny talks about how Arts and Music classes were such a pain in the backside.

Or when he points out how how people wearing high heel shoes could never survive the zombie apocalypse. Puritans may feel that he is dissing everything Indian, when he serves analogy comparing a harmonium (or that instrument that always says NO) with a guitar. Or an uncouth-sounding chappal to that of the classy, romantic sounding 'Shoes' (perhaps, Kenny had forgotten about the homonym 'Shoo!'). Re-evaluate those jokes in mind, and you realise that he is actually taking digs at both aspects.

This is more direct when he points out how Bollywood does music better in their films when compared to West, and you can't help but nod and smile at that. Why make our poor actors go through the process of auto-tuning, no matter how much Bhai likes it, when we can simply hire a professional one to do a better job, right?

Watch The Trailer of The Most Interesting Person In The Room:

Kenny also avoids making political jokes or digs at popular celebs, although if you are smart, you can catch some pretty sly ones reading between the lines. The common thread between most of his gags is, even in the ostrich one (the unluckiest bird that can't fly and walks like an uncle searching for a loo in a mall) - is the value of self-worth. Quite nice, actually.

Yet, while there are some smart references here and there, the reason that you  go watch a standup comedy special is for the comedy, right? That's where Kenny's show actually goes on the backfoot. There are sporadic moments of hilarity, but the humour isn't really funny enough. I wish I could find myself laughing my guts out the same way as the audience in the studio were. I really wish!

For when Kenny picks up the guitar and croons a funny song - the cake song is absolutely hilarious, and man, can he sing! - it makes for the special's best moments. Only if the entire special could just be about Kenny strumming the guitar and singing out the gags.

Final Thoughts

Kenny Sebastian's likeable presence and his musical gags make his debut on Netflix worth a watch. Only if The Most Interesting Person In The Room had more interesting and hilarious jokes to make, then it would have been awesome!

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 29, 2020 04:53 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).