Fans applaud Kapil Sharma for talking about battling alcoholism and depression in Netflix special: ‘Cried like a baby’

Kapil Sharma made his OTT debut this week through his Netflix special Kapil Sharma: I’m Not Done Yet. The hour-long comedy special saw the actor-comedian enthrall audiences with anecdotes from his life, jokes about politics and Bollywood, and some heart-touching moments too.

One of the highlights of the show was how it was different in tone from Kapil’s TV shows. Fans and critics both noted it felt more personal even if slightly less funny. But what many appreciated was how candidly Kapil talked about his own struggles with depression and alcoholism on the show.

Kapil talked about his experiences with therapy when he found himself depressed. “We always believe that depression is something that happens outside (abroad). It doesn’t happen here,” he said, highlighting the lack of awareness about mental health issues in the country. Kapil talked about the time when he had stopped smiling and nothing appealed to him anymore.

Fans on social media applauded the comedian for not just opening up about his troubles but using a platform as far-reaching as Netflix to talk about it. “I actually feel proud and brave that #KapilSharma spoke about his depression and mental health condition during a rough patch in life,” tweeted one fan. Given Kapil’s stature and popularity, many felt it was a big deal the country’s top comedian had taken this step. A fan wrote, “It’s so heartening to see India’s top comedian who caters to universal audience talking about mental health.” Many said they became emotional watching it. “Cried like a baby watching Kapil’s Netflix special,” tweeted one fan.

Fans argued that by talking about such taboo subjects on a big platform, Kapil was helping bring this issue into the mainstream in a much-needed manner. One fan tweeted, “Will help in removing stigma around #MentalHealth.” Most fans urged Kapil to continue talking about such issues that matter in the future too. “Please keep advocating for #MentalHealthIsHealth,” one fan tweeted while tagging Kapil in the post.

Also read: Kapil Sharma I’m Not Done Yet review: Comedian’s Netflix special is low on laughs but wins on storytelling

In the past, there had been reports about Kapil’s battles with alcoholism and mental health issues but the comedian had never talked about them so candidly before. Kapil Sharma: I’m Not Done Yet began streaming on Netflix on January 28.