BOTTOM LINE
Sugar-Coated Yet Fun Take On Adoption
Platform
Netflix
RUNTIME
6 Episodes | 4 hours
What Is the Show About?
After a messy divorce due to his wife’s reluctance to have children, a man-child Gaurav Gehlot finds an abandoned baby boy in his car. The experience is transformative for Gaurav, pushing him to become a father. He defies his orthodox family and battles a rigid adoption process, navigating the chaotic journey of single fatherhood.
Performances
Kunal Kemmu‘s typical light-weight, carefree presence is tailor-made for a role like Gaurav. Beneath the obvious goofiness, he brings a certain relatability and warmth to his portrayal. Prajakta Koli plays her part with assurance, though diversity in role choices doesn’t seem to be her forte.
Neha Dhupia’s steely presence is convincing despite her stereotypical character. If you’re looking for nuance, don’t go beyond Ayesha Raza and Manoj Pahwa, who have a blast as the imperfect yet much-in-love parents to Gaurav. Daya Shetty, Suhail Nayyar, and Ankur Rathee form a strong supporting line-up.
Analysis
Single Papa starts with the idea of a man-child wanting to adopt a child. The creators, Ishita Moitra and Neeraj Udhwani, treat the premise in the cinematic language of a Karan Johar universe – opulent sets, flamboyant costumes, partly tone-deaf, the absence (misunderstanding) of middle class, tackling entitled people problems, marriage, cultural stereotypes – but go the extra mile to make it endearing.
This is not exactly bad news for a story that tackles a single man’s desperate effort to proceed with adoption. It wears its core theme, that raising a child has little to do with gender, quashing the stereotype of parenting being a maternal domain, lightly, populated with spunky, flawed, and exaggerated characters. Though over-simplified, the directors, Shashank Khaitan, Neeraj Udhwani, and Hitesh Kewalya, bring an accessibility to the social stigmas.
For starters, the baby lands out of nowhere in Gaurav’s car, while he’s about to get cosy with a girl, on the same day he gets divorced. Gaurav is the most unlikely candidate for fatherhood. He’s lived in a bubble all his life; his ex-wife complains there’s little need for another child when he’s around. He won’t clean the cup he’s had tea in or even pack his undies.
The show starts with Gaurav’s divorce, but for their contrasting opinions on having a child, the (former) partners are still cordial. The action soon shifts to an impending marriage, his sister Namrata is all set to tie the knot to a boy from an ‘elitist’, conservative family. Just as the baby finds its way to Gaurav’s life, his sister’s alliance is called off and the adoption looks like a distant dream.
Yet, for all the good it tries to do, the legalities around adoption are treated like a walk in the park. As the makers themselves admit, a typically ‘khadoos’ woman (played by Neha Dhupia) who runs an NGO is portrayed as a torch-bearer of the adoption process. He needs to rise above her authoritarian stance and firm views to make progress – she’s like the soft, invisible antagonist.
The narrative is quite refreshing when it talks of how a man’s way of expressing love is different from a woman’s, not necessarily less in comparison. A manny (male nanny) is employed to take care of the baby while Gaurav is away for work. The subplot about Gaurav and his father’s differing views on adoption and how they eventually patch up adds juice to the storytelling.
The only family member who stands up for Gaurav’s unconventional parenting, his sister Namrata, also has a say in the proceedings. The baby serves as a trigger to expose the deep-rooted issues within the groom’s family. One wishes the thread around Gaurav’s corporate job was more substantial; it starts and ends too conveniently.
Single Papa isn’t always politically perfect but remains breezy, light-hearted, and eminently watchable. Kunal Kemmu steps into Ayushmann Khurrana’s taboo-breaking territory with élan, and there’s a liberal dose of Bollywood humour to make the ride worth it.
Music and Other Departments?
Aman Pant’s score goes along smoothly with the mainstream Bollywood flavour of the show, it’s like a complete thali, mirroring its enthusiasm, confusion, and family drama. Cinematographer Pratik Deora’s aesthetics stay true to the grammar of the Karan Johar template, with much assistance from the props and costumes. It doesn’t necessarily break norms and unabashedly flaunts its over-the-top exterior. The humour takes time to grow on you, and the writing gets better with time.
Highlights?
Interesting take on adoption
Quite entertaining, funny
Light-hearted characters, performances
Drawbacks?
Breaks but also endorses a few stereotypes
Absence of strong detailing
Few subplots could’ve been handled better
Did I Enjoy It?
Generally yes
Will You Recommend It?
Go ahead if you don’t mind a light-hearted story on single fatherhood, the Bollywood ishtyle
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Single Papa Series Review by M9
