Kapil Sharma: I'm Not Done Yet
RATING
Introduction
Ever since the rise of standup in India, one man who has being a darling of the masses is Kapil Sharma. After winning the second season of The Great Indian Laughter challenge in the late 2000s, he started making a name for himself with shows like Comedy Circus. Soon it was in 2013 when he lauched his own show Comedy Nights With Kapil which turned out to be a landmark in his career, a show which was synonymous to him and through which he gained immense popularity. Originally slated for 26 episodes, the show has completed 9 years(ofcourse with breaks and over two TV channels). And finally Kapil Sharma makes his way to the OTT giant Netflix in his debut standup on any OTT. So then does the new standup Kapil Sharma : I’m Not Done Yet shine on Netflix, stay tuned.
Concept
So there are two ways to look at this standup – the first being in a traditional way where you look for jokes and some smart humour. And the second is from a storytelling perspective, something which Zakir Khan is known for. Here, I strongly feel that you as an audience should look from the latter bit. Though this is a regular standup but it seems personal as Kapil Sharma chooses to take us on a nostalgic trip of his life through some comic bits. The topics of depression and some of his personal issues were nicely touched upon as well. The political innuendoes were smartly spelt out, maybe a bit unstructured but fun nevertheless.
Gags And The impact
I honestly quite enjoyed this standup because it did feel intimate and personal. Parts of it felt sentimental yet the humour in it diluted the impact. Kapil Sharma’s entire life journey has been a fascinating one albeit road blocks. But you have got to admire the way he has bounced back everytime. As he rightly put it in words , ‘The drawback of popularity is that while many people recognize you and love you outside, you are lonely inside.’ Now this line hit home brilliantly and it showcased the dark side of stardom. Also the topics of depression when he had turned to alcohol and tweeted on a famous minister “Who Must Not Be Named” definitely made me chuckle. So the humour was prevakent here throughout but none that would make me laugh hysterically. Yet when he was mentioning about his family and in particular his father, it was an emotional ride. As they say life is a big leveller. So with starpower and popularity which the man has achieved, he still doesn’t have his father by his side. So the final tribute in the form of a song which Kapil Sharma gave to his father was an emotional one, something that I was not prepared for. So overall, quite a good act on display!
Performances
When it comes to comedy, there are very few who can match the wit of Kapil Sharma. He has been gifted with an impeccable sense of comic timing. While at times his humour is offensive on his show, here he did a commendable job in driving this standup. At the end of the day this was a personal act which was very close to his heart and he definitely poured out every bit of his emotions. His comic timing was sharp although not all jokes landed which is generally how a standup is. But his storytelling technique was quite good and impactful. Overall, a great job done.
Conclusion
Kapil Sharma : I’m Not Done Yet might be low on the humour quotient but it definitely is high on storytelling that makes this a very personal and a commendable act! Available on Netflix.