Father's Day 2025: Ranbir Kapoor, Shah Rukh Khan, Shahid Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan's parenting lessons

Indian Express

16 hours ago

Father's Day 2025 Bollywood dads share parenting lessons: Happy Father's Day to our Bollywood dads! A father and their children's relationship in the real world holds a very special place. Over the years, we have seen how our B-town dads have talked about certain several parenting principles that they follow. Be is Ranveer Singh talking about doing 'daddy duty' to how Saif Ali Khan teaches guitar lessons to son Taimur Ali Khan to Ranbir Kapoor taking care of daughter Raha, this Father's Day let's have a look at a few dads who are setting new goals!
In today's world both the parents have to be equal partners when it comes to taking care of the kid. Ranveer Singh has openly expressed his feelings about being a father and embracing 'daddy duty.' He has shared that he is experiencing an infinite happiness and that words cannot fully describe the joy he feels as a new father. He also has praised the role of his wife, Deepika Padukone, as a partner in sharing both happiness and sadness, making the experience even more fulfilling.
In a video circulating on social media from a wedding that he attended, Ranveer Singh can be seen visibly elated as he discusses his experiences as a new father. He says, 'I have been on daddy duty for a long time now. I am ready to let loose with you all. That infinite happiness I'm experiencing right now. I wish I had the words to express what it's like, but, there are no words, in any language, that can describe this happiness.'
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Ranveer and Deepika welcomed their daughter, Dua Padukone Singh, on September 8, 2024.
Be it play dates, or making the kids learn some new skills, out Bollywood dads often prioritise being involved in their children's lives. Ranbir Kapoor is often spotted with daughter Raha Kapoor as they try new things.
Ranbir Kapoor has often expressed his deep love and joy as a father to his daughter, Raha Kapoor. He has described the experience of being a father as a profound and life-changing one, filled with delight and a strong emotional connection to his daughter. He cherishes the time he spends with Raha and has spoken about the importance of instilling values like empathy, kindness, and respect in her.
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In an interaction with entrepreneur and Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath on his podcast, Ranbir Kapoor spoke about his sweet-as-ever relationship with his daughter Raha Kapoor. When Nikhil Kamath asked Ranbir what it was like to have a daughter, the Animal actor expressed his feelings, saying, 'It is like somebody kind of took your heart out and put it in your arms.'
He also mentions that he feels a sense of wonder and joy when he looks at Raha, stating that it's a feeling he never expected.
Kunal Kemmu is often seen celebrating all festivals with his little one. Kunal and his actor wife Soha Ali Khan come from different cultural backgrounds but are often seen making all celebrations meaningful for their daughter Inaaya Naumi Kemmu. be it Eid or Ganesh Chaturthi or Diwali and Holi, they celebrate it all.
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Soha in an interview with SCREEN once told, 'When I post something, people start commenting on my religion. Because I have married into a Hindu family, my mother has a Hindu surname and she married a Muslim man. Usually, if we post something on Diwali, they ask how many rozas I have kept. If we post on Holi, there are comments asking what kind of Muslim I am. It doesn't bother me, but it is something that I do notice.
In an old interview to Syed Firdaus Ashraf, Soha shared how saw a 'multicultural family' and said, 'My mother is Hindu, my father Muslim. We celebrate every festival, be it Diwali or Eid,' and looks like this couple is following the same tradition at their house.
Saif Ali Khan makes Taimur learn new skills
Remember this Saif Ali Khan's guitar jamming photo with his son Taimur Ali Khan? Well, Saif is certainly one such dad who is making an effort to make his kid learn something new. Saif also makes sure to take his kids to the stadium to watch live matches.
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During a conversation with India Today, Saif spoke about his four children and said, 'Two of the elder kids are already actors, or want to be… Tim (Taimur), at one point, said that he can't bear the thought of getting up in front of people and saying lines, I would be petrified! I said that I completely understand. But now he tells me he's looking forward to his school play. The youngest one is a born performer, if you ever see him, and I know where that comes from. So, there's no pressure. It's a great job. But, for me, they could be school teachers… As long as you're happy.'
Many A-listers of B-town have a 'no-photo' rule for their children and Shahid Kapoor is one such dad to Misha and Zain. While Shahid's social media has very less photographers of his kids, on their airport outings too, Shahid is often seen shielding his kids from the paparazzi.
In an earlier interview, when asked about his approach to parenting, Shahid explained that there is no 'one-size-fits-all' rule.
While talking to entrepreneur and content creator Raj Shamani, pointing out the importance of recognising each child's unique needs and said, 'Har insaan ka baccha alag hota hai aur har insaan ke circumstances alag hote hain (Every individual child is different and every individual's circumstances are different).' Shahid added that he believes that the key to successful parenting is balance, achieved through collaboration between both parents.
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Adding to his fundamental principle, Shahid shared, 'When you send kids for gymnastics, they have all this little protection. If they fall, they don't hurt themselves so badly. I feel that our role as parents is to allow them to fall softly and make every mistake without getting major punishment for it, within their home, around the people who love them the most. If I completely shut down, the fact that they can fall only when they go out in the world, they won't be able to deal with it. If I'm too hard on them, they will already have complexes before discovering the world. I think it's all about allowing them to find themselves, make mistakes, teach them what is good and bad behaviour, what is right and wrong, and give them a strong moral code which builds character in them. And, let them know that their circumstances are not earned by them but provided by their parents.'
Varun Dhawan and his wife, Natasha Dalal, welcomed a baby girl in June, 2024. In an earlier interview with The Hollywood Reporter India , the actor shared that he would not spare anyone trying to cause harm to his daughter.
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Sharing his views on how fatherhood changes a man, Varun said, 'I think when any individual, any man, becomes a parent, it is a different experience for a mother. I feel she becomes a tigress, that moment only something happens. But, as a man, I'd say, that when we become parents, for some reason, you feel protection towards your daughter. I am sure you feel for sons also, but towards the daughter… If anyone causes even so much (little) harm to her, I'd kill them. I am dead serious when I say that. Literally, I'd kill them.'
Shah Rukh Khan has often expressed his belief in bringing up daughters and sons as equals. He applies the rule that 'everything a son is allowed, so must a daughter be, and everything a daughter is disallowed, a son must too'.
Shah Rukh on parenting highlights a nugget that often goes overlooked, but is perhaps one of the first steps in teaching children about equality. SRK once shared that he instructs his son Aryan to wear a shirt at home, explaining that if he would find it uncomfortable to see his mother, sister, or female friends shirtless, why would he expect them to accept him shirtless.
'If you'd feel uncomfortable seeing your mother, daughter, sister, women friends without their clothes on, why would you expect them to accept you shirtless? Don't do something a girl can't do,' shared SRK in an old interview.
Well, there is certainly lots to learn from these role models. Here's wishing all dads a very Happy Father's Day!
Kriti works as a Copy Editor for the Entertainment section of Indian Express Online (Indianexpress.com). She is great at web stories, galleries, and Express Archive's photo stories. She is good at spotting stories from social media posts. She makes the copies well-loaded with content, photos, tweets, and other related social media posts to make it interesting for the readers. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, Chennai (Specialization in New Media), Kriti has been a part of the organisation since November 2015. She took a transfer from Delhi to Bengaluru in April 2017. ... Read More