Single Papa, a six-part dramedy series that sees a wayward man-child, played by Kunal Kemmu, grow into a responsible parent when he single-handedly adopts a child, defying family and deriding society, premieres on Netflix on Friday. t2 caught up with Kunal for a chat to know more.

What is it primarily about Single Papa that made you want to do it?

I loved the concept of the show as well as those who are involved in making it. This is something that Netflix has also been very excited about because they are trying to break the clutter with a show like this. Single Papa is not just about the so-called great Indian family and the dynamics that they share... it is also the journey of this man (Gaurav Gehlot, played by Kunal) who is pretty much a man-child himself. He wants to adopt a child and the series deals with all the ups and downs, happiness and tears that come along with him being a single parent.

It is a journey that sees him go up even against his parents because he is determined to keep his son, no matter what. At the end of the day, the child not only brings him much happiness, it also changes him in many ways. All of these aspects touched a nerve within me. I like the tone of Single Papa, which is sensitive and humourous at the same time. Once I read the first few episodes, I knew that I wanted to be a part of this show. It had all the bells and whistles that were making the right noises to me.

You have been acting since the age of four and have worked across genres, with comedy being your forte. Is there anything new that Single Papa tapped into you as an actor?

As I said, I liked that this is a family drama with a lot of humour. It is the kind of stuff that I like watching even as an audience — where you are laughing out loud but also taking in a lot of what the story wants to say. Gaurav’s relationship with the various characters in his life — his parents (played by Manoj Pahwa and Ayesha Raza Mishra), his sister (Prajakta Koli), his ex-wife (Isha Talwar) and his friend (Suhail Nayyar) — forms a large part of the story and that was something that was new for me to explore. I have done hardcore comedies, as well as a dark intense drama like Abhay, for example, but before this, I had not done anything which was wholesome in the way Single Papa is. In a series, unlike in a film, one gets to spend a lot more time with one’s character and also build a better dynamic with the others. It felt fresh to me and I was excited to do it.

We always say that keep the child in you alive, but the term “man-child” is, more often than not, used derogatorily. How did you strike that balance while playing Gaurav?

Honestly, I feel that it is a compliment if you call somebody a “man-child”. I don’t understand how anyone else gets to decide that now you are this age and this is how you should behave. Everyone has their own process and pace of maturing. Also, showing your emotions to the world, for a large part, is considered to be a childish thing to do, but there is nothing wrong in that, I feel. As for me, I have always kept the child in me alive. It has kept me going and let me do newer things and also take newer risks at times and live the life I have wanted to live.

Single Papa streams on Netflix from December 12

Does being a father to an eight-year-old help you relive your childhood often?

For sure. Being with her (Inaaya) makes me relive a lot of my childhood. It also lets me do things that I otherwise wouldn’t — like I have often discovered that playing with certain toys can be very therapeutic, which is something I wouldn’t have, of course, done otherwise. Jumping on a trampoline with my kid is one of the best things ever. I enjoy getting on to a rollercoaster with her. I become like a kid myself.

Coming back to Single Papa, how much do you think the series will help in de-stigmatising adoption, which is still a tough thing to do in India, especially for a single man?

Anything that starts a conversation is great, though the function of entertainment is not always such that the audience has to necessarily take away something from it. Adoption is a big subplot in this series but the intent was largely to tell the coming-of-age story of this man.

At the end of the day, the team was sure that we want to make Single Papa with the purpose of entertaining, while also being sensitive to all the emotions that we convey in the series. In doing so, if it works in bringing about a change in any way — whether it is spurring a conversation or altering a mindset — then we will be more than happy.

As you said, the process of adoption for a single man in India is a lot more tedious and extremely long-drawn out. The final numbers are also not encouraging. Honestly, I wasn’t aware of that. So for me, being a part of this project has been an eye-opener in many ways.

I recently spoke to Rakul Preet Singh who said that her latest film De De Pyaar De 2 has worked because the audience is now looking at watching happy, wholesome content. As an actor and director, what do you think the Indian viewer predominantly wants to see on screens big and small?

Humour is always a palatable genre and an effective way to tell most stories, whatever the platform may be. Humour works not only for family viewing, but also for individual viewing. In that sense, Single Papa is a clutter breaker — I haven’t seen many shows or films of this kind coming out of the industry in recent times. As an audience, I am always ready to sample such content. Anything that is light-hearted, has humour, and is about family — I will sample it any time of the day. Whereas, even if something is recommended, but is heavy or dark, I will need to take time out and watch it, especially with kids around because you never know what that film or show is going to throw up. Stuff that has humour and family is a community watch, something that even kids can consume.

After your debut as director with the out-and-out comedy film Madgaon Express last year, is this the genre that also interests you as a filmmaker?

As a creative person, I am very instinctive. I have never put myself in a box. I am driven by ideas. While one always wants to work on projects that are palatable to a huge audience, I am not limited by that, both as actor and director.

What do you and Inaaya enjoy doing the most, especially in your alone time with her aka when you are a “single papa”?

It is mostly the things that annoy Soha (Ali Khan, wife)... things that we can’t do when she is around! (Laughs) When Inaaya is with me, Soha is always worried whether I will throw her diet out of the window — like feed her chocolate or ice cream before bedtime. Or whether we will be jumping on the bed and doing some “tickle time”. A lot of my time with Inaaya is spent doing bike rides and talking a lot about different things. She is always curious to know what kind of a day I have had, she has her point of view on many things, and we enjoy each others’ company. Mama does all the heavy lifting... I am there just for the fun bit (laughs).

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