EXCLUSIVE | Netflix's 'Single Papa' actor Kunal Kemmu: 'Blessed that people have really enjoyed my work in comedies and...'

Netflix recently brought to the audiences a heartwarming and hilariously chaotic story with Single Papa, a family comedy that captures the madness and magic of the modern Indian family. Headlined by Kunal Kemmu, the series follows Gaurav Gehlot, aka GG, a lovable man-child whose emotional age can best be described as “work in progress.”

His sudden decision to adopt a baby right after his divorce, leaves his family so shocked they briefly consider rebooting him. What follows is unprecedented kalesh as the Gehlots scramble to understand how a man who still misplaces his socks plans to raise a whole human.

In an exclusive interview with Firstpost, Kunal , Shashank Khaitan, Tanya Bami (the head of series at Netflix India), Neeraj Udhwani, Ishita Moitra spoke about the idea of the series, the landscape of comedy and how much it has evolved, and how 2025 was for movies and shows.

Edited excerpts from the interview

Kunal, congratulations are in order because Kalyug completed 20 years on the 9th of December. So do you remember the feeling facing the camera for the first time for your official debut?

If I can say it, I do. I do. Very much. I was very nervous. I remember I had not slept the entire night. And we did our first shot at Gateway of India which was for the songs. It was interesting because it was for both the songs. We did a shot from Jiya Dhadak Dhadak and from Aadat. In both, they made pigeons fly. It was interesting. I remember like a crowd assembling there and them asking ‘Kiska shooting ho raha hai,’ and I said ‘Picture ka.’ They asked ‘Hero Kaun Hai.’ I said ‘Pata Nahin.’ (Laughs)

And now talking about Single Papa. How was your prep for this character like? Because comedy is one genre which you have now mastered as an actor.

I don’t think I’ve mastered it but I really enjoyed doing it prep wise. I think the written material was so good that when I read it also, I felt pretty much like it was written for me in a way because it was pretty much like how I am. And again, Shashank and I have been talking about working together for a very long time. And I think he also knows my comic timing. So I think that’s why there was a reason that he came to me.

By the time I went through the written material and we had a chat and we had a couple of readings, I think I had a pretty decent idea of what Gaurav was going to be like. Having said that, on the first day it took a couple of takes to find the rhythm and the tonality for him. But within the first day, I think I pretty much eased into GG and. And I’m very lucky that they let me do whatever I want to do with it. I hope the audiences like it.

Shashank, it has a very interesting ensemble. So what were the discussions that went behind the casting of the show?

I think the biggest thing which attracted me to the show when Ishita, Neeraj, Samar, Netflix team, Tanya and all sent the script to me to read it was this opportunity to come up with a great ensemble and an opportunity to come up with just great actors because the comedy was written in. I mean, makes our job much easier as a director when you know it’s such good written material. This has the scope to have good actors come in and really leave the, you know, so called ground to them and just have fun play with it. So I think that was our thought process and as I’ve been speaking and telling in multiple interviews, we are so fortunate that actually most of the people we have cast in this show were our first person preferences and our first choices.

Tanya, it has been a great year for Netflix. So what do you feel the streaming has got right this year or if you can speak about the content that we have seen?

It’s been a great year. We think so too. From a series side, if I speak for ourselves at Netflix, it’s been one of our most busy slates of the year ever. I would like to believe that we’ve been able to put out some high impact volume as well so that we are able to really connect with our, with our audiences, with our members month on month with something exciting. So if you just look at it- January was Black Warrant, December is Single Papa. And in between, there’s been The Ba***ds of Bollywood , there’s been Delhi Crime, there’s been Khakee, The Royals. I think we wanted to go wider with the kind of ideas that we are able to develop and put out there.

Ishita and Neeraj- We haven’t made too many great comedies. So what do you feel will make Single Papa stand out?

Ishita: I hope that there’s a lot of family, there’s an ensemble and there’s a little baby and there’s a lot of heart and story and there’s comedy that’s arising from situations that are everyday situations that a lot of us encounter in our lives and we really feel that that will be a clutter breaking factor for this show.

Neeraj: I think it’s like a situational comedy which you don’t really see today so much how one character’s decision sends everybody in a tizzy and you know how they cope. So that I think is a USP where every character brings their own quirks and their also personal journeys and growth. So yes, it’s a family show but it’s a situational comedy where every character is kind of driving the plot. And to have that over six episodes, I think that’s the USP. It’s different from every other comedy.

Kunal, be it 99, be it Loot Case, be it the Golmaal series, be it Madgaon Express, be it Go Goa Gone. I truly feel that you have delivered a variety of comedy as an actor over the years. So what does it take to get that flavour of comedy right?

I wish I knew the because I just think I’ve approached every part with honesty, earnestly and instinctively and I let instinct guide me. I’ve also been blessed with directors and writers who had material that I’ve been able to do a lot with. So if I did not have actors who made that scene work with me, I couldn’t do it single handedly. But I’ve been blessed that people have really enjoyed my work especially in comedies and it’s also translated into my writing and direction in Madgaon. And I hope that I have this relationship that continues for a long time with single papa and many more things to come in the future.

The comedies that I spoke about- There is a lot of chaos happening. How does that blend happen and are you able to switch on, switch off when you are surrounded by both chaos and comedy?

I think there is always a method to the madness and if there isn’t, then there is just pure chaos which becomes white noise. And like I said, it’s not just a one man’s journey. It is a team that comes together to make it happen. And when it comes to comedies, even the editors, the background score, all of those things, when they all play together, is when the comedy works. So I am a mess, like a mere spare part in that. But I feel like I’m blessed to have gotten these opportunities, and I want to keep capitalizing on them more and more as much as I can. And I really hope that we sit together and have the same conversation on Single Papa 5, 6, 7.