Netflix’s recently released family drama series, Single Papa, tells the delightful story of a young, careless man who wants to raise a child on his own. It is headlined by the forever cheeky Kunal Kemmu, who brings his inimitable boyish appeal to the character as he manages the needs of an adorable toddler, played by Hami Ali. The idea came to creators Neeraj Udhwani and Ishita Moitra at the airport when they saw an anxious father struggling to change his baby’s diaper.
“He was just wandering at the airport, looking for a place to change the diaper as there was no designated place in the men’s washroom,” recalls Neeraj as Ishita adds how every women’s toilet has a baby care corner. “It is an infrastructural issue. The world thinks that changing a diaper is only the job of a woman,” she says.
Seeing the helpless man at the airport prompted the two to think more of him and his condition. In the show, it takes the shape of a brash, Haryanvi man, Gaurav Gehlot (Kemmu), who decides to adopt a baby, while battling the angry gaze of everyone around him, including his family. Told with quirky sensibilities, the show also has a feel-good vibe. Tanya Bami, series head at Netflix, says they wanted to tell a story which a family can watch together. “It is really important for entertainment to become a shared experience. There is so much to like about Single Papa, right from the characters to their dynamics together. It will give a lot for everyone in the family to talk and reflect about,” Tanya says.
The show’s highlight is the joyous relationship between Gaurav and the baby. There are scenes where Gaurav is shown singing a lullaby to calm the baby’s nerves, making faces to make him smile and also going grocery shopping together. Kunal calls the experience of working with the baby “insane”. “I felt threatened by how good he was,” he says with a smile, recounting that there was a body double of the baby made with silicon that wasn’t actually used as much. “It was heavier than the real baby, and we went along and shot most of the scenes with Hami. It was incredible,” Kunal adds.
A still from the show
| Photo Credit:
Netflix
Shashank Khaitan, who has co-directed the show with Hitesh Kewalya and Neeraj, was initially worried about working with a baby. “My first ad film involved shooting with a baby. It was for Johnson & Johnson. We were doing a shot where the baby had to be put in water, and the minute we zoomed the camera on the baby, he pooped,” Shashank recalls with a laugh. However, he says it was a “joyride” working with Hami in Single Papa. “I think he is a born actor. He knew exactly when to cry and smile. In fact, the speed with which we shot the show wouldn’t have been possible without the baby’s help,” he adds.
Single Papa also goes beyond the comic portions and gives space for some emotional relief between a father and a son, a husband and a wife and a couple negotiating the terms of their marriage with their conservative families. Shashank feels that achieving a balance between humour and emotions was key to making the show. “We are forgetting the importance of silence in today’s time. And as there is so much happening in the show, it was necessary to spend time with the characters in order to make the audience feel for them. There was a need for the thehraav, and we managed to get that right,” says the filmmaker.
A still from Single Papa
| Photo Credit:
Netflix
At the same time, humour becomes a medium to explore some of the emotional moments. The show opens with a chaotic exchange between Gaurav and his wife as they file for divorce in court. In the scene, Kunal maintains a subdued aura in his performance, while nailing the comic timing. When asked to describe how he works around getting it right, the actor doesn’t really spill any beans. “I don’t know what the process is. I think it has become instinctive in my case. I just really enjoy acting in a comedy. When I am at work, I am not really working. I am just enjoying myself,” he says.
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Ishita adds that even writing a comedy is somewhat instinctive. “Comedy is the most difficult to write. There is an art and craft to it, and it takes years of practise to master,” says Ishita as Shashank adds, “When you are writing comedy, you have to let go of ego. It is important to share your jokes with people to gauge their response. While writing, you may find something funny, but when you narrate it to five people, and none of them react to it the same way, then you have to let go of that joke.”
Kunal turned writer-director last year with the lively buddy-comedy, Madgaon Express. The film was well-received, particularly for its energetic comic scenes. But has Kunal, the actor, learnt anything about the craft by working as a director? He thinks for a moment and says that he has rather learnt more about himself during the process.
“I have learnt to be free. As an actor, you are more guarded, since you spend a brief time on the set while the heavy lifting is done by those behind the camera. But as a director, you have to learn to absorb everything. Even if you lose your temper, you have to get going and make things happen. So, being a director liberated me as a person,” Kunal says.
He also feels it is important to give the right kind of guidance to actors while directing them. “There are some directors who engage with actors deeply, while there are some who are more technical in their approach. Sometimes in the latter case, an actor suffers because they don’t get the proper direction,” he says and concludes, “It is important to understand the kind of actor you are dealing with. In fact, I feel every director should take an acting course.”
Single Papa is currently streaming on Netflix
Published – December 15, 2025 05:11 pm IST
