Critics Review:
Parenthood in India has always been prescriptive. Mothers nurture, fathers provide. Anything beyond this binary is either questioned or quietly ridiculed. Single Papa, created by Ishita Moitra and Neeraj Udhwani, enters this deeply gendered space with an idea that is deceptively simple but socially disruptive. What happens when a man wants to become a single parent, not by accident, but by choice?
Streaming on Netflix, Single Papa is a rare blend of humour and emotional interrogation. It arrives as a comedy but stays as a commentary. Across its season, the show gently peels away social conditioning to reveal how deeply parenthood is still policed by gender expectations rather than emotional capability.
A Man, A Mission, and a Social Minefield
At the centre of the narrative is Gaurav Gehlot, played with earnest vulnerability by Kunal Khemu. Newly divorced and emotionally adrift, Gaurav separates from the love of his life over a fundamental incompatibility of wanting a child. She refuses to have a child and he cannot imagine a future without one. What follows is not bitterness, but resolve.
Gaurav’s decision to become what he terms “India’s first single papa” is both sincere and naive. He approaches parenthood with optimism, emotional honesty, and an almost childlike belief that love should be enough. The series does not romanticise his journey. Instead, it places him squarely in a society that is unprepared to see a man as a primary caregiver.
When the System Pushes Back
Standing firmly on the other side of this emotional battle is Neha Dhupia, whose character acts as the institutional voice of resistance. She is strict, unyielding, and painfully rational.
Her opposition to Gaurav’s desire to become a single father is not rooted in cruelty, but in conditioning.
Neha Dhupia delivers a performance that quietly devastates. She embodies the system that claims to protect children while simultaneously denying men the emotional legitimacy to raise them. Her character breaks hearts not through malice, but through logic that feels disturbingly familiar.
Family, Fractured but Functional
The emotional backbone of Single Papa lies in its portrayal of a disputed family that still operates from a place of love. Prajakta Kohli, Manoj Pahwa, and Ayesha Raza bring warmth, frustration, humour, and vulnerability to their roles. Their dynamics feel lived-in rather than staged.
They argue, interfere, protect, and judge. But beneath the noise is genuine care. The show understands that Indian families rarely offer unconditional support. Instead, they offer complicated loyalty. And sometimes, that is enough.
Comedy That Knows When to Step Back
What makes Single Papa particularly effective is its tonal balance. It is a laugh riot and a tear jerker, often within the same episode. The humour never mocks emotion. The emotion never overpowers the comedy. The writing allows laughter to exist alongside discomfort, which is precisely how social change often begins.
Kunal Khemu is remarkable throughout the series. His performance captures the awkwardness of a man unlearning masculinity as he learns caregiving. But the show’s quiet scene-stealer is Dayanand Shetty as Parvat Singh, the Manny. His presence is grounding, gentle, and unexpectedly profound. He brings dignity to caregiving without speeches or symbolism, simply by being competent and compassionate. Our beloved Daya from C.I.D is seen in a new light in this show who doesn’t break doors but stands as a protective wall around baby Amul.
The baby in the show is the ultimate show stealer, an absolute charmer, who can make every couple want a baby to fill their homes with happiness and lives with sweet moments.
Gender Bias Disguised as Concern
Across its episodes, Single Papa repeatedly asks one uncomfortable question. Why is a woman’s desire to parent assumed, while a man’s desire is interrogated? The series exposes how quickly society questions a man’s emotional stability, nurturing ability, and moral intent when he steps into roles traditionally reserved for women.
The show does not frame men as victims or women as villains. Instead, it exposes a system that distrusts deviation. Parenthood here becomes a mirror reflecting how deeply we confuse gender roles with emotional aptitude.
Final Word
Single Papa is not a revolutionary manifesto. It is something far more effective. It is a gentle provocation wrapped in humour, warmth, and human vulnerability. Throughout the season, it consistently chooses empathy over exaggeration and reflection over outrage.
It reminds us that parenthood is not defined by gender, but by presence. And sometimes, the bravest act is not raising a child, but insisting on the right to try. Watch it for the laughs. Stay for the tears. Leave with questions that linger.
Overall Rating: 4 out of 5
Because Single Papa proves that love may not always follow rules, but it often rewrites them.
By: Anushka Singhal
