Thode Door Thode Paas Review: Pankaj Kapur, Mona Singh's Series Is A Wholesome, Witty & Warm Reminder That Connection Begins Where Wi-Fi Ends

Title: Thode Door Thode Paas

Director:  Ajay Bhuyan

Cast: Pankaj Kapur, Mona Singh, Kunaal Roy Kapur, Gurpreet Saini, Ayesha Kaduskar, Sartaaj Kakkar

Where: Streaming on Zee5

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Review

This series is that rare creature, a feel-good family drama that holds up a mirror to our screen-glued selves without becoming self-righteous. Across five breezy episodes, the Mehtas, a perfectly ordinary middle-class family, are suddenly forced into a “digital detox” by their patriarch, Captain Ashwin (a magnetic Pankaj Kapur). Returning from an outing, he finds his clan has replaced conversation with notifications. The premise, part social experiment and part moral fable, could easily have turned preachy, but the series manages to stay engaging through its wit and warmth.

The creators cleverly juxtapose the nostalgia of the 1980s with the chaos of the touchscreen era. There is an unmissable irony as astrologer Kunal (Kunaal Roy Kapur) and his boutique-running wife Simran (Mona Singh) juggle clients online equally unaware of their children’s gadget obsessions. The turning point arrives when Ashwin dangles an irresistible carrot: one crore each, if they can stay unplugged. What follows is a mix of tantrums, rediscoveries, and a refreshingly unhurried exploration of human connection in an age of constant pings.

Actors’ Performance

Pankaj Kapur is the soul of the series, dignified yet mischievous, exuding both gravitas and playfulness. His Captain Ashwin could have been written as a cranky old man, but Kapur infuses him with empathy and twinkling irony. Kunaal Roy Kapur’s perpetually frazzled Kunal is pitch-perfect, oscillating between bewilderment and reluctant introspection. Mona Singh, as Simran, is a delight, grounded, endearing, and effortlessly comic when navigating her “digital fasting” woes.

Ayesha Kaduskar and Sartaaj Kakkar, as the gadget-tethered Gen Z duo, bring freshness and believability, while Gurpreet Saini as the bumbling Kumud adds just the right touch of warmth. What stands out is that no actor overplays the sentiment. The tone remains restrained, allowing both humour and tenderness to surface naturally.

Music and Aesthetics

Visually, the show feels like a pastel-hued postcard of domesticity, with sunlit verandahs, and dining tables that transform into confession corners. The production design feels lived-in rather than curated, fitting the middle-class milieu beautifully. A standout sequence is the candlelight dinner scene underscored by a soft retro tune that captures the show’s spirit: old-school romance meeting modern irony.

The background score, light and lyrical, sustains the show’s easy rhythm. The occasional rhyming dialogue and well-timed humour lend the writing a touch of playfulness. Nothing feels forced; instead, it glides along gently, like a family rediscovering its own rhythm.

FPJ Verdict

The series does not aim for high drama or biting satire, and that is precisely its charm. It remains a modest yet meaningful slice of life, a digital-age parable wrapped in humour and homeliness. The messaging can feel predictable and the pacing wobbles in parts, but the sincerity of its performances and the warmth of its intent keep it engaging.

In a landscape crowded with thrillers and heavy-handed social commentaries, this series feels like a slow Sunday breakfast, simple, comforting, and faintly nostalgic. Watch it not for what it preaches, but for how gently it reminds you to look up from your screen and actually see your family.