EXCLUSIVE: Makers Ishita Moitra, Neeraj Udhwani Talk About Creating Kunal Khemu’s Single Papa; Says, “We Were Once On Our Way To Goa…”

Netflix’s Single Papa has been making waves for its fresh take on parenting, relationships, and modern-day emotions. The show, starring Kunal Khemu in the lead, explores the life of a single father navigating love, responsibility, and self-discovery in today’s world. In an exclusive conversation with Bollywood Bubble, co-creators, co-writers, and producers Ishita Moitra and Neeraj Udhwani opened up about the journey of creating Single Papa. The duo spoke about shaping the story, balancing humour with heartfelt moments, and bringing authenticity to Kunal Khemu’s character while addressing relatable themes that resonate with contemporary audiences. Excerpts:

Single Papa explores parenthood with humour and emotion what personal observations or real-life experiences inspired the core idea of this show, and how did you ensure it stayed relatable yet fresh?

Ishita Moitra: When we were writing Single Papa, we had just been blessed with our daughter. So, a lot of our insights and experiences of parenting percolated into the show. Just the other day, someone told us that, like Gaurav, they too had thrown the unused diaper in the dustbin instead of the used one. And we quipped, us too! Everything from the sleepless nights, to the constant feeding, burping, diaper changing routine, the flow chart to figure out why the baby’s crying, the daily vitamin D3 drops saga – is all from real life.

The initial idea for the show came when we were once on our way to Goa, and at the airport, we saw a single father with a baby, struggling to find a suitable place to change his diaper. There are no diaper changing stations in the men’s loo, usually. As the system believes, raising and nurturing are women’s jobs.

This image stayed with us, and we started discussing it. How if you are a single father, then this is the one place where the bias is stacked up against you. Where, in a way, you have to prove that you are as good as a woman. We found all these ideas very fascinating and soon started exploring turning these thoughts into a story.

Kunal Khemu plays a single father navigating modern relationships— how did you shape his character arc, and what challenges did you face while balancing comedy, vulnerability, and responsibility in the narrative?

Ishita Moitra: Usually, good comedy always arises from a rather stressful or dramatic situation. Becoming a new parent can be one of the most challenging and overwhelming experiences anyone can go through. And it’s super exhausting. Physically, mentally, emotionally. You don’t want to lose yourself at the same time; you are now an entirely different person who will forever think of the child first. We wanted all these nuances to come into the writing. Balancing the comedy with the drama wasn’t so difficult, after all, as parents – we balance work, home, baby, family, friends, all the time. My balancing act has become so good that now I even do sheershaasan in yoga class. On a serious note, the idea was to always have that delicate balance between humour and drama. To have a light-handed touch during writing the dramatic scenes, so that the show never becomes preachy or didactic.

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Neeraj, as a co-creator who also directed a few episodes, how did wearing multiple hats influence the storytelling? Did directing help you translate the writing more authentically on screen?

Neeraj Udhwani: Single Papa is the first project where I was involved end-to-end, as creator, writer, director, and co-producer. Practically, that meant being part of every stage of the journey: from the writers’ room and casting conversations to budgeting decisions, time on set, and right through post-production.

Wearing multiple hats gave me a rare 360-degree perspective. Directing the material I had written allowed for a more intuitive translation from page to screen; the emotional intent, the silences, the rhythms of the characters could be shaped in real time. Watching Single Papa evolve from an idea on paper to a show streaming on Netflix across 190 countries was both grounding and deeply enriching as a storyteller.

About Single Papa

Single Papa is created and co-produced by Ishita Moitra and Neeraj Udhwani, with Shashank Khaitan serving as executive producer. The series is directed by Hitesh Kewalya and Neeraj Udhwani alongside Shashank Khaitan, and produced by Aditya Pittie and Samar Khan under the Juggernaut Productions banner.

The series stars the stellar ensemble cast, including Kunal Kemmu, Manoj Pahwa, Ayesha Raza, Prajakta Koli, Neha Dhupia, Suhail Nayyar, Dayanand Shetty, Aisha Ahmed, Dhruv Rathee and Isha Talwar, amongst others.

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Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: Neha Dhupia Comments On Single Papa Redefining Parenthood; Says, “Everything A Single Mother Can Do, A Father Can Too”

Manisha Karki

Manisha has established a reputation for insightful and engaging storytelling with over six years of expertise in the industry. With a deep passion for cinema, she brings a unique perspective to her coverage, making it a trusted voice in the entertainment world.