Veteran actor Anil Kapoor He may be known as the eternal ‘cool dad’ in Bollywood, but the star has now openly admitted that his off-screen reality as a father was not quite the same.In a recent interview with Lilly Singh, the 69-year-old actor reflected on his parenting journey: in addition to owning his absence during his children’s growing up years, he credited wife Sunita Kapoor for keeping the family together.
‘I was hardly there… it could have been so much better’
Kapoor did not hold back on being open about his role as a father.“I was hardly there. If my children say positive things about me, I feel happy because I raised them well. But as a father, I could have been much better. I should have spent more time. In many ways, Sunita has been like a single parent. I was present, but not in the way a father should have been,” he said.
“I wouldn’t remember their birthdays”
Kapoor revealed how disconnected she was from her children’s daily lives.“I barely knew what class they were in. I wouldn’t remember their birthdays; my wife would remind me. They’d ask me, ‘When’s my birthday?’ and I’d be blank. But they’ve grown up to be wonderful, happy people,” he admitted.
‘I don’t regret it… I move on’
Despite acknowledging his shortcomings, Kapoor says he doesn’t dwell on the past.“I have no regrets. I’m not someone who lives in the past. I move forward because I have to stay strong. If I start thinking too much or regretting, it won’t be good for my family,” he shared.Expressing his gratitude, he added: “God has given me everything. Why regret the little things? They are doing well, they are happy, they are settled in their lives… so there are no regrets.”
“Maybe my son needed me more”
However, the actress admitted to one specific regret: the equation with her son.“I think I should have spent more time with my son than my daughters,” Kapoor said, referring to hard-hitting Vardhan Kapoor.Elaborating further, he added: “Sometimes a son needs a father more. Daughters often have a special bond with their mother. A son may need that father figure more, but I wasn’t there.”
“What was it like to have a friend?”
Kapoor also reflected on her own parenting style, questioning whether having a friend rather than discipline was the right approach.“How would I know? I’m still learning. We’re friends, and sometimes I wonder, was it right to be a friend? I’ve never tried to be a strict father. Maybe that was a mistake. I connect with them more as a father than as a friend,” he said, adding that he still has “hurtful and emotional” moments.
‘Credit goes to Sunita’
Although Kapoor questions her role, she is clear about who deserves credit for their children’s upbringing.“If you look at how my daughters are, the credit goes to her. Their confidence, honesty and individuality – it all comes from her,” she said, referring to her daughters. Sonam Kapoor and Rhea Kapoor.
