Grandpa Jeetendra on Ekta Kapoor turning mother via surrogacy, sharing his name with newborn
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; February 1, 2019)

You can hear the happiness in his voice as he exclaims, "I was a dada earlier. Now, I have become a nana. My life is complete!" The Kapoor family's patriarch, Jeetendra's joy knows no bounds — his daughter Ekta Kapoor turned mother to a baby boy via surrogacy on January 27. The newborn has been named Ravie Kapoor after the veteran actor (his original name is Ravi). The grandfather reveals that the letter 'E' was added on the recommendation of their astrologer. "They wanted an astrologically [favourable] name starting with R, and then Ekta thought why not name him after baba?"

Keen to embrace motherhood, the TV czarina apparently, over the last seven years, tried Intrauterine insemination (IUI) and In vitro fertilisation (IVF) with little success. It was then that Dr Nandita Palshetkar recommended surrogacy. Brother Tusshar Kapoor too had become a proud parent to Laksshya via surrogacy in 2016.

The veteran star says he was overjoyed when Ekta told him of her decision. "Shobha [Kapoor, wife] and I were over the moon when we heard it first. We are looking forward to him coming home." He adds that the family makes daily rounds of the suburban hospital where the baby is currently under supervision. "My family says he [Ravie] looks just like me, but then, a child's looks keep changing every day. It's tough to say who he will resemble in the future. Now, I have Laksshya and Ravie — they are the apple of my eye. I can die peacefully now as both my babies have their own babies."

Both Ekta and Tusshar have chosen to be single parents to their kids. Ask him if he wishes to see his children get married someday, and the senior actor reasons, "I believe one must be happy in life. [It doesn't matter] whether you are married or single. For me, the idea was that Tusshar and Ekta should have someone to come back home to. A baby is the biggest blessing and responsibility to have. With responsibility comes to passion, love, happiness and a purpose in life. There cannot be a bigger responsibility than taking care of a baby."

Ekta, on her part, issued a statement yesterday expressing her joy on the beginning of a new chapter in her life.