{{Short description|Indian stand-up comedian, actor and YouTuber}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2019}} {{Use Indian English|date=May 2019}} {{Infobox person | name = Kanan Gill | image = 200px | image_size = | caption = Kanan Gill in May 2019 | native_name_lang = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1989|12|24}} | birth_place = Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India | height = 175 cm | alma_mater = MSRIT <small>(B.E.)</small> | occupation = Comedian<br/>actor<br/>youtuber | years_active = 2013–present | website = }} '''Kanan Singh Gill''' is an Indian comedian, actor, author and YouTuber. He won the Punch Line Bangalore Competition. He is known for the YouTube series ''Pretentious Movie Reviews''<ref>{{cite web|title=Pretentious Movie Reviews | url=https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVmwHEj8mVmAkqqZjD8EKEY2iawIVHg3G|via=YouTube|accessdate= 5 August 2017}}</ref> where he reviews campy Bollywood films along with fellow stand-up comedian Biswa Kalyan Rath. He was one of the main personalities behind the YouTube Comedy Hunt and also co-hosted the YouTube FanFest India. In 2017, he released his own one-hour comedy special, ''Keep It Real'' on Amazon Prime Video.<ref>{{Citation|title=The Improvisers: Something from Nothing|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8259604/|access-date=2018-10-17}}</ref> He made his debut on the big screen with the film ''Noor'', alongside Sonakshi Sinha. In 2018, he was also a judge on ''Comicstaan'', a comedic reality TV show, on Amazon Prime Video. He released his new special ''Is This It?'' on YouTube in 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-07-10 |title=Kanan Gill's Is This It? review: Crisis comedy for the anxious age |url=https://www.cnbctv18.com/entertainment/kanan-gill-is-this-it-review-crisis-comedy-for-the-anxious-age-17164721.htm/ |access-date=2024-03-29 |website=CNBCTV18 |language=en}}</ref>
==Early life== Kanan was born in Bareilly to a Sikh family and spent his early years in Dehradun and Delhi. His father Charanjit Singh Gill, an officer with the Indian Army was also the principal of Rashtriya Military School, Bangalore. At an early age, he moved to Bengaluru with his family. He did his schooling at Ahlcon Public School, New Delhi and The Frank Anthony Public School, Bengaluru.<ref>{{cite news|title=Take it from Gill | url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-in-school/take-it-from-gill/article6112500.ece|work=The Hindu| date=13 June 2014|accessdate=14 June 2014| last1=Rodricks| first1=Allan Moses}}</ref> He pursued a B.E. degree in Computer Science at MS Ramaiah Institute of Technology. He was a part of a band where he later became the lead singer when he started writing "funny songs".
==Career== Kanan worked as a software engineer at Exeter Group Inc., for three years.<ref>{{cite web |title=About Stand Up Comedian: Kanan Gill |url=https://www.liveinstyle.com/stand-up-comedy/bio/kanan-gill |accessdate=14 August 2018 |archive-date=14 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180814232759/https://www.liveinstyle.com/stand-up-comedy/bio/kanan-gill |url-status=dead }}</ref> In the meantime, he participated in and won a competition called ''Punchline Bangalore'', followed by another win at the Comedy Store in Mumbai. He then quit his job to pursue a career in comedy.
He gained popularity with the viral YouTube series, ''Pretentious Movie Reviews''. He reviewed critically panned popular Hindi movies along with Biswa Kalyan Rath. Kanan also worked in an improvised sketch comedy show, ''The Living Room'' on Comedy Central.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/141130/entertainment-tvmusic/article/kanan-gill-unplugged|title=Kanan Gill unplugged|work=Deccan Chronicle|date=December 2014|access-date=29 December 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.afaqs.com/news/story/42539_Comedy-Central-to-premiere-The-Living-Room|title=Comedy Central to premiere 'The Living Room'|publisher=Afaqs.com|accessdate=29 December 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.medianama.com/2014/11/223-disney-owned-youtube-mcn-maker-studio-signs-up-indian-channels-aib-kanan-gill-others/|title=Disney owned YouTube MCN Maker Studios signs up Indian channels: AIB, Kanan Gill, others|date=26 November 2014 |publisher=Medianama.com|accessdate=29 December 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Reviewer duo Kanan Gill and Biswa Kalyan Rath throw a few punches at bad Bollywood movies|url=http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/reviewer-duo-kanan-gill-and-biswa-kalyan-rath-throw-a-few-punches-at-bad-bollywood-movies/articleshow/34867519.cms |accessdate=3 December 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141016050802/http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/reviewer-duo-kanan-gill-and-biswa-kalyan-rath-throw-a-few-punches-at-bad-bollywood-movies/articleshow/34867519.cms |archivedate=16 October 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/events/delhi/Kanan-Gill-and-Biswa-Kalyan-Raths-first-live-show-in-Gurgoan/articleshow/40598905.cms|title=Kanan Gill and Biswa Kalyan Rath's first live show in Gurgoan|work=The Times of India|accessdate=29 December 2014|last1=Tuli |first1=Aanchal }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-in-school/take-it-from-gill/article6112500.ece|title=Take it from Gill|author=Allan Moses Rodricks|work=The Hindu|date=13 June 2014 |accessdate=29 December 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=How To Make Your YouTube Videos Work|url=https://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com/bangalore/others/How-to-make-your-YouTube-videos-work/articleshow/45128593.cms |accessdate=3 December 2014 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141116040451/http://www.bangaloremirror.com/bangalore/others/How-to-make-your-YouTube-videos-work/articleshow/45128593.cms |archivedate=16 November 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/boys-of-bollywood/|title=Boys of Bollywood|work=The Indian Express|date=3 May 2014|accessdate=29 December 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indiantelevision.com/television/tv-channels/english-entertainment/comedy-central-sees-potential-in-localised-content-141117|title=Indian Television Dot Com – Comedy Central sees potential in localised content|author=Anil Wanvari|publisher=Indiantelevision|accessdate=29 December 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://creativemornings.com/talks/kanan-gill/1|title=Kanan Gill|work=CreativeMornings|accessdate=29 December 2014}}</ref> Gill made his acting debut in Sunhil Sippy's ''Noor'' in 2017, alongside Sonakshi Sinha.<ref>{{cite news|title=Today's headlines are tomorrow's garbage: Sonakshi|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/people/Todays-headlines-are-tomorrows-garbage-Sonakshi/articleshow/53074037.cms|accessdate=6 July 2016|work=Times Of India|author=Natasha Coutinho|date=6 July 2016}}</ref> The same year, Gill launched his special ''Keep It Real'' on Amazon Prime Video.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6774914/|title=Keep It Real|website=IMDb}}</ref> In 2020, his special ''Yours Sincerely'' was released on Netflix.
In 2023, he also starred in the Norwegian romantic comedy called ''Christmas As Usual'' alongside Ida Ursin-Holm.
On 18 January 2024, HarperCollins released ''Acts of God'', Gill's debut novel. It is a comedy-science fiction story based on a short story that he wrote in 2016–17.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-01-19 |title=Kanan Gill is more excited about writing movies than acting in them |url=https://www.vogue.in/content/kanan-gill-is-more-excited-about-writing-movies-than-acting-in-them |access-date=2024-01-23 |website=Vogue India |language=en-IN}}</ref>
== Filmography == ===Film=== {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" |- style="text-align:center;" ! Year !! Film !! Role !! Language ! class="unsortable" |Notes ! class="unsortable" |{{abbr|Ref|Reference}} |- |2017 !scope="row"|''Noor'' |Saad Sehgal |Hindi | |<ref>{{cite news |title=These Artists Became Famous In Most Unconventional Ways |url=https://www.news18.com/photogallery/movies/these-artists-became-famous-in-most-unconventional-ways-1821685.html |accessdate=14 August 2018 |work=News18 |date=2017}}</ref> |- |rowspan="2"|2023 !scope="row"|''Aachar & Co'' | style="text-align:center;"|{{emdash}} |Kannada |Co-writer |<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ottplay.com/news/aachar-co-the-movie-is-about-love-and-family-says-co-writer-kanan-gill/b6101e07c8864|title=Aachar & Co: The movie is about love and family, says co-writer Kanan Gill|date=14 July 2023|work=OTTplay}}</ref> |- ! scope="row" |''Christmas As Usual'' | Jashan Joshi |Norwegian<br />English | | |- |}
===Web=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year !! Name !! Platform !! Notes |- | 2017 || ''Keep It Real''<ref>{{cite news|url=http://t2online.com/lifestyle/kannan-gill-s-show-keep-it-real-is-the-freshest-thing-you-can-stream-this-week/cid/1.75748|title=Kanan Gill's show, Keep it Real, is the freshest thing you can stream this week|access-date=13 January 2018|archive-date=14 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180114132137/http://t2online.com/lifestyle/kannan-gill-s-show-keep-it-real-is-the-freshest-thing-you-can-stream-this-week/cid/1.75748|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/brunch/kanan-gill-breaks-down-technology-for-parents-in-brunch-wtf/story-K1AZhpUzYOV7l5nz13AGpK.html|title=Kanan Gill breaks down technology for parents in Brunch WTF}}</ref> || Amazon Prime Video|| Stand-Up Comedy Special |- | 2016–2019 || ''Better Life Foundation''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://webisoda.in/webseries/better-life-foundation/|title=Watch Better Life Foundation – Season 2 out now on Hotstar (2016) online {{!}} Episodes {{!}} Cast {{!}} Review|website=Webisoda – The Indian Web Series Hub|language=en-US|access-date=2019-11-13}}</ref>|| rowspan="7" | YouTube || Produced by Them Boxer Shorts <br>Released by All India Bakchod<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.scoopwhoop.com/Whats-Good-And-Not-So-Good-About-AIBs-Latest-Web-Series-Better-Life-Foundation/#.aj9vxyomu|title=What's Good And Not So Good About AIB's Latest Web Series 'Better Life Foundation'}}</ref> |- | rowspan=3| 2014–present || ''Pretentious Movie Reviews''|| |- |''I Can Do That''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://webisoda.in/webseries/i-can-do-that/|title=Watch I Can Do That (2017) online {{!}} Episodes {{!}} Cast {{!}} Review|website=Webisoda – The Indian Web Series Hub|language=en-US|access-date=2019-11-13}}</ref>|| |- |''How Insensitive''|| |- | rowspan=3| 2014–2017 || rowspan="3" | ''Son of Abish''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://webisoda.in/webseries/son-of-abish/|title=Watch Son of Abish – Season 6 out now (2019) online {{!}} Episodes {{!}} Cast {{!}} Review|website=Webisoda – The Indian Web Series Hub|language=en-US|access-date=2019-11-13}}</ref>|| Season 1 |- | Season 2 with Biswa Kalyan Rath |- | Season 3 with Sonakshi Sinha |- |2018 |''The Improvisers: Something From Nothing''<ref>{{Citation|title=The Improvisers: Something from Nothing|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8259604/|access-date=2018-10-17}}</ref> | rowspan="3" |Amazon Prime Video |Alongside Kenny Sebastian, Abish Mathew, Kaneez Surka |- |2018-2019 |''Comicstaan''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://webisoda.in/webseries/comicstaan/|title=Watch Comicstaan – Season 2 Out Now (2018) online {{!}} Episodes {{!}} Cast {{!}} Review|website=Webisoda – The Indian Web Series Hub|language=en-US|access-date=2019-11-13}}</ref> |Judge<ref>{{cite news |title=Comicstaan emerges as the most watched show on Amazon Prime Video in its first week |url=http://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/report-comicstaan-emerges-as-the-most-watched-show-on-amazon-prime-video-in-its-first-week-2639724 |accessdate=14 August 2018 |work=dna |date=21 July 2018}}</ref>
|- | 2019 |''Sketchy Behaviour'' | |- |2020 |''Yours Sincerely, Kanan Gill'' <ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.celebswhoop.com/kanan-gill-yours-sincerely-review-netflix/| title=Yours Sincerely, Kanan Gill's Netflix Special | publisher=CelebsWhoop.com |date=30 April 2020}}</ref> |Netflix |Stand-Up Comedy Special |- |2023 |''Is This It?'' |Paytm Insider, YouTube |Stand-Up Comedy Special <ref>{{Cite web |title=IS THIS IT? {{!}} Kanan Gill |url=https://kanangill.com/home/tours/teetar.html |access-date=2023-06-14 |website=kanangill.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Is This It? {{!}} Kanan Gill's newest and greatest comedy special |url=https://insider.in/is-this-it-kanan-gill/ |access-date=2023-06-14 |website=insider.in}}</ref> |- |2024 |''Dil Dosti Dilemma'' |Amazon Prime Video |Role: Nasir Akhtar <br>Episode 4: Keeping Secrets<br>Episode 6: The Celebration |- |2026 |''What is this?'' |YouTube |Stand-Up Comedy Special <ref>{{Cite web |title=WHAT IS THIS? {{!}} Kanan Gill |url=https://kanangill.com/home/tours/teetar.html |access-date=2023-06-14 |website=kanangill.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Is This It? {{!}} Kanan Gill's newest and greatest comedy special |url=https://insider.in/is-this-it-kanan-gill/ |access-date=2023-06-14 |website=insider.in}}</ref> |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{IMDb name|8379182}} {{Subject bar |commons = yes |commons-search = |d = yes |d-search = |portal1 = Biography |portal2 = }}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gill, Kanan}} Category:Indian stand-up comedians Category:Living people Category:Indian male comedians Category:1989 births Category:Indian YouTubers Category:People from Bareilly