‘Single Papa’ (2025) Netflix Series Review - Rubbish Of The Highest Order

With her short hair, broken English, and faux-posh appearance, Ayesha Raza emerges as the funniest—and sexiest—person in Single Papa, a six-episode comedy series now streaming on Netflix. It's hard to imagine what Single Papa would have been like without her—or perhaps it's too easy, since most of the jokes that land do so courtesy of Raza's performance. The scene in which Gaurav (Kunal Kemmu), Jatin (Manoj Pahwa), and Poonam (Raza) threaten to kill themselves is amusing enough, but what makes it hilarious is Poonam's choice of weapon: a butter knife. She uses it to lend credibility to her threat, only to casually acknowledge its inadequacy moments later.

Raza's Poonam is a sweet, merry force of nature. She expresses herself openly without losing sight of her innocence. The effect is like watching a child attempting to be smooth and secretive at the same time. It's impossible not to look at her when she's sharing the frame with other actors. Raza keeps you hooked; she single-handedly sustains your interest in Single Papa.

In front of her, everyone else fades into the background or appears unremarkable. Part of the problem is that the remaining actors are saddled with forgettable roles, which their performances fail to enliven. Talented names such as Manoj Pahwa, Isha Talwar, Aisha Ahmed, and Neha Dhupia barely leave a mark. They exist somewhere between bland and bearable. Worse, Dhupia and Kemmu seem to be competing to see who can irritate the audience more. The winner is Kemmu's Gaurav, if only because he gets more screen time than Dhupia's Mrs Nehra. After a point, you're unsure whom to dislike more: Nehra, for being rigid and insistent on conventional rules, or Gaurav, for repeatedly proving her criticisms of him correct.

Gaurav is a jerk—self-absorbed and immature, a man-child who decides to adopt a baby named Amul. Why Amul? Because this baby was found in his car. The show suggests that Gaurav's stubbornness stems from Nehra's refusal to believe he can be a good father. Her doubt bruises his ego—or so other characters keep telling Gaurav.

It comes as no surprise when Nehra's opinions turn out to be justified. During the trial period, Gaurav is easily exasperated and overwhelmed. He carelessly wanders away from the baby in a store and, in another instance, remains oblivious as a car nearly crashes into Amul. Yet Single Papa insists on having it both ways. It portrays Gaurav as dim-witted while simultaneously framing him as an emotionally invested, sincere father.

Writers Neeraj Udhwani and Ishita Moitra raise potentially interesting questions: Why can't a single man be a devoted parent? Why should it matter whether a child is biologically related or adopted? Why is paternal warmth considered inferior to maternal affection? Instead of exploring these ideas with the required complexity or sincerity, the show settles for adolescent humor. When a nurse asks about Gaurav's sex, he misunderstands the question and replies, "Saal bhar se zyada ho gaya hai." The amateurishness is also evident in a pointless red herring—Amul is briefly "kidnapped"—and a lazy dream sequence in which he is adopted by a British couple.

Ultimately, Single Papa functions like a public service announcement. It informs viewers that a banana can soothe mosquito bites and reminds them of the existence of the Central Authority for Child Adoption. When Gaurav shares his adoption plans with a child at an orphanage, the latter instantly responds, "Aapko pata hai pichle saal kitne bachche adopt hue?"—not like a character, but like a mouthpiece fed with facts and figures.

The most damning flaw of Single Papa is its inability to meaningfully engage with its own story. Udhwani and Moitra resolve every conflict in the final moments simply because the show needs to end. Gaurav's love life—hinging on a choice between two women—is abandoned as though even the writers found it dull. Goldie's (Ankur Rathee) spinelessness in front of his parents is blithely resolved, and the dramatic explosion during Namrata's (Prajakta Koli) marriage fizzles out. The show doesn't care about anything, and neither should the audience.

Lacking the courage to confront its subject with logic or conviction, Single Papa ties everything up with a cute bow and bids farewell. It relies on sentimentality as a shield against criticism. "I have a big heart," the show seems to declare. In a country where emotions are easily hurt and routinely weaponized to sell safe, commercial cinematic projects, it wouldn't be surprising if Single Papa earns positive reviews from some publications and finds an audience eager to label it a "heartwarming treat for family and friends." Don't be fooled, however. Single Papa is rubbish of the highest order.

Final Score- [2/10]
Reviewed by - Vikas Yadav
Follow @vikasonorous on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times