Pratik Gandhi is not only an inspiring showbiz actor, he’s a super cool dad in real life too. He embodies the essence of new-age parenting as a father who’s breaking stereotypes, redefining gender roles, sharing responsibilities, and being there for his kid, without making too big a deal of co-parenting. As we begin our countdown to Father’s Day, we speak to the actor about his relationship with his eight-year-old daughter Miraya, and how he keeps the traditional values alive while being the doting dad. Excerpts:

Parenting is a beautiful journey that can’t happen in isolation. It requires both (mother and father) to participate equally and help each other in raising the kids. And if a father does all those things that a mother has been doing since time immemorial, he should not be tagged as a ‘new age dad’. That’s the way it should be. As a father, I must contribute to the many other aspects of parenting other than just earning or going out to work. It is not just the mother’s responsibility to take care of the kids. As fathers, we must help them as much as we can.

For Miraya, I am the clown in the house. I should always be chirpy and enthusiastic around her. I must play with her, entertain her, joke around and be energetic all the time. She doesn’t like it if I sit quietly when spending time with her. And I love being whatever she expects me to be. That’s the most beautiful part of being a father. You love being the person your kids want you to be.

Stories play a huge role in my relationship with Miraya. She loves listening to stories, and I think I am a good storyteller. Not a single day goes by without narrating a story to her. It’s my way of explaining things to her. There are times when she misbehaves or does something that she shouldn’t; that’s when I tell her a story that subtly passes on the message without me having to shout at her or anything. As kids, we have all loved listening to stories and if they can inculcate something positive in them, then why not?

My father was not from the entertainment industry, but he always understood and backed my dream. Whatever the situation, he would just say, ‘Badhu saruj thase’ (Everything will be fine). Those three words had a really calming effect on me. No matter how challenging or stressful things would be, we never saw him stressed. And that helped me sail through all the difficult phases in my life.