Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; June 18, 2018)

You don’t need a special occasion to appreciate the relationship between a father and son, but Father’s Day does give a chance to celebrate these special moments. Tusshar Kapoor did just that on Sunday, as he took his two-yearold son Laksshya for an outing followed by lunch. They visited a children’s play area in Andheri, followed by a meal at his favourite restaurant in the suburb and ended the day with a visit to his best friend’s place.

“Laksshya is too small to understand the concept of Father’s Day. On this day, what I would really want to do is spend some precious time with him. I make it a point to plan my life around him and not the other way round. Every Sunday, I take him to this play area for kids in Andheri. Interacting with other kids makes him happy. When it’s not raining, we go to a playground. This Sunday, while giving him a bath, I thought we could extend our outing and have lunch together followed by a relaxed afternoon at my friend’s place. The weather seems just right for a Sunday like this. As for gifts, we’ll probably open one of his birthday presents which are at home, unopened,” says Tusshar, adding, “I’ve stopped feeling the need for company since Laksshya has come into my life. I can step out with him for shopping or for lunch.”

Tusshar also loves showering attention on his father, Jeetendra. When we asked him what he did for his dad on Father’s Day, the actor says, “He joined my son and me for lunch in Andheri. The three of us had a great time together, something my dad really cherishes. I don’t do anything special on Father’s Day for my dad because he doesn’t fancy the concept of celebrating specific days. He’s from a generation that believed in loving their parents, irrespective of a day or a situation.”

Talking about doing something special for one’s parents, Tusshar says, “The best thing that I can do for my parents is to leave Laksshya with them for the whole day or an entire evening when I am away. Parents leave their kids with the grandparents when they go to work. I ensure that I do everything required for Lakkshya and I plan my days in a manner that my son is never out of my sight. My parents get overjoyed when I leave him with them because they get to spend time with Laksshya without my supervision.”

For the last two years, Tusshar has been a popular single father. Being a hands-on daddy has been his greatest joy and achievement. “So many mothers have asked me how I manage my son on my own,” he says, adding, “I just tell everyone that whatever I do for my son stems from the fact that I wanted to be a parent. When you have that feeling, you find a way to work your life around your little one.”