Last Updated:November 13, 2025, 16:26 IST

Thode Door Thode Paas on ZEE5 stars Pankaj Kapur, Mona Singh, and Kunaal Roy Kapur as a family challenged to go offline for six months.

Kunaal Roy Kapur is currently seen in Thode Door Thode Paas.

In an age where screens rule every second of our lives, Thode Door Thode Paas dares to ask — what happens when an entire family goes offline? The new ZEE5 series, starring Pankaj Kapur, Mona Singh, and Kunaal Roy Kapur, explores this very idea with warmth and wit. For Kunaal, working alongside legends like Pankaj Kapur and Mona Singh was both “humbling and hilarious,” as he put it, adding that the show made him rethink his own relationship with technology.

In an exclusive conversation with CNN-News18 Showsha, Kunaal opens up about digital addiction, what he’d miss most if he went offline, and why boredom might just be the secret ingredient to creativity.

Excerpts from the interview:

You’ve spoken about how we’ve all developed different kinds of digital addictions — from social media to even news. What do you think makes it so hard for people to disconnect?

The time when you are scrolling — and then you stop scrolling — that’s when you feel the FOMO, the fear of missing out on what’s happening in the world. For different people, it’s different triggers. Some just need to know the news — like my parents, who feel they must know what’s happening in the country. That’s an addiction too. Then there’s social media, and other kinds of addiction. I think we need to find a way to fight these instincts and calm ourselves, but it’s easier said than done. Young people don’t have much of a filter to say ‘enough is enough,’ and sometimes, someone has to enforce that for us — because we’re all falling into those traps. It’s really about self-policing, with a little bit of help. But there’s no easy answer.

At the same time, you’ve said technology has made communication and learning so much easier. How do you see that balance between its benefits and its side effects?

You know, we have to look at the advantages too. Communication has become so much easier — you can video call anyone, anywhere, anytime. You have access to the world’s library. You can learn anything online now. It’s incredible. We didn’t have this 20 years ago! But we still often choose to look at rubbish. Everything’s there if you want to learn — even full university-level courses. Farmers are learning new techniques online. So it’s not that it’s all bad — it’s mostly good. But there are side effects. And Thode Door Thode Paas talks about those side effects — how too much of something good can quietly take over our lives.

The show’s premise — a family giving up all technology to live like it’s the ’70s and ’80s — is both funny and thought-provoking. What do you think today’s generation could learn from that simpler time, and what excited you most about diving into this concept?

We were all more comfortable being bored when we were growing up. That led us to pursue interests and left more time for human interaction. I feel both the younger and older generations today are living in isolated bubbles. If people can just learn to straighten their necks and look up… out into the world, look at each other again — that would be wonderful.

As someone who lives and works in the digital world, how challenging would it be for you personally to go six months without a phone or laptop?

Quite impossible for anyone today. We feel so anxious if we leave even our phone at home — it’s like we are lost or without a limb. It’s what connects us to work, personal life, entertainment. So being cut off from all forms would be very challenging. It would really demand a reimagining of one’s life and how you spend your time.

You spoke about social media being both a blessing and a curse. How do you view that balance?

We have to look at the advantages — communication has become so much easier. You can video call anyone, anywhere, for free. You have access to the world’s library, you can learn anything online. That’s incredible! But we still often choose to look at rubbish. Everyone has access to knowledge, but we’re addicted to the worst stuff. So the show isn’t saying technology is bad — it’s showing the side effects we need to manage.

What do you think makes people so hooked to their screens?

It’s that FOMO — the fear of missing out. Everyone’s got different triggers. For some it’s news, for others it’s social media. Even older people are addicted — they need to know what’s happening, who said what. It’s all become a kind of addiction. We have to learn to self-police, to find calm, but it’s easier said than done.

If you had to live without technology for six months like the Mehtas, what would you miss the most — and what would you secretly enjoy rediscovering?

I think my phone. As a freelance actor, it’s where your work comes from. Waiting for the phone to ring with news of a good project — that’s your lifeline. But I’d enjoy rediscovering reading, taking photos, drawing, maybe even cooking. I do these things now, but without distractions, I’d do them a lot more.

What was it like working with Mona Singh and Pankaj Kapur?

They’re both such grounded performers. Pankaj sir brings this calm authority, while Mona adds warmth and energy to every scene. It was like being in a family, which really helped because that’s what the show is about — connection and chaos within a home.

Thode Door Thode Paas, created by Shiirshak S. Anand and directed by Ajay Bhuyan, follows Ashwin Mehta (Pankaj Kapur), a retired naval officer who realizes his family’s growing digital dependence has weakened their bonds. He challenges them to go six months without gadgets in return for Rs 1 crore. What follows is a funny, emotional, and eye-opening ride through withdrawal, reconnection, and rediscovery. The series premiered on ZEE5 on November 7, 2025.