On the occasion of Children's Day yesterday, Vidya Balan opened up about the urgent need to prioritise children’s safety, the lack of film content made specifically for young audiences, and the nostalgia she carries from her own carefree childhood. The actress is the face and voice of the #POCSOPakadLega campaign, part of Arpan NGO’s 7th Edition of Child Safety Week 2025, dedicated to the elimination of Child Sexual Abuse (CSA).

Stressing the need for open conversations around child protection, Vidya said, “I think what we are hoping to do is transform the way society talks about child protection. You know, from hushed whispers and helplessness to more collective dialogue. And I think talking about child safety should no longer be treated as a taboo, but as a shared responsibility woven into everyday conversations – whether it’s at home, schools or within communities. So, through this campaign, we want to make child safety a visible, urgent and actionable issue.”

Recalling the innocence and beauty of her growing-up days, on a nostalgic note, she recalls, “When I think of cherished childhood memories, I think of how we would all go out to play every evening with our friends in the compound of our building. I was born and brought up in Chembur, and it was a very safe environment. We would be loitering on the streets. It didn’t matter that we were girls. You just felt safe. Everyone was looking out for you. I feel so sad to see kids spending more time on their gadgets today, and also parents being so anal when they send their kids out for physical play.”

Taking a nostalgic turn, Vidya reflected on the simplicity and freedom of her childhood. She shares, “I had a happy, secure and protected childhood, thankfully. And you realize this more in retrospect, because when you see the kind of things happening around us, you feel grateful for the childhood you’ve had, because that really forms the base for who you end up becoming. My upbringing was very simple and we were content. While certain traditional values were ingrained in my sister and me, we were also given the freedom to fly. I had absolutely no pressure on me to get a certain grade or marks. I did my best, and that’s what mattered to my parents. Today, when I see the kind of pressure that kids face, I’m like… wow, they’re constantly doing something. We had so much free time, and I really value and cherish that.”

Reflecting on the glaring absence of children’s films in mainstream Bollywood, she says, “I’ve wanted to do a children’s film forever. I’ve always wondered why I don’t really get offered children’s films or why children’s films don’t get made that much. I remember going for a film a few months ago, the content of which seemed fairly adult, but there were lots of kids in the audience who were having a great time. So, I think they invariably end up consuming adult content because of the dearth of children’s films here.”

She noted that OTT platforms have partly filled this gap by giving Indian children access to diverse global content. “Thanks to OTT platforms today, so much of children’s content produced all over the world is accessible to our children here, which is a wonderful thing.”

In a world where parenting has taken on a new meaning and is throwing new challenges at us, the key is finding the right balance between gentle guidance and setting healthy boundaries. Most importantly, the focus today is on cultivating a child’s skills, beyond textbooks and classrooms. On Children’s Day, the actress and mom to two boys, Genelia Deshmukh, shares her views on parenting and how her husband Riteish Deshmukh and she embrace old-school values with new-age concepts to raise their sons, Riaan (10) and Rahyl (8).

Genelia says that motherhood has been a transformative experience that has pushed her to become the best version of herself. “Parenthood is the most wonderful thing that’s ever happened to me. The responsibility of raising children is like no other job. I have become the best version of myself because of my kids, Riaan and Rahyl. They have made me more compassionate and opened my eyes to things I was once blinded to,” she says.

Children’s Day has always been a special celebration in Genelia’s family, even when she was growing up. “My parents celebrated it beautifully. They would wake us up, make us feel special, and give us whatever we wanted that day,” she recalls, adding, “We try to emphasize to our kids that they’re the best thing that’s happened to us. While we have 365 days to tell them that, this particular day is extremely special and significant for us.”

To equip and prepare her children to thrive in a world of intense competition from an early age, Genelia’s approach is to focus on their internal growth and hone various skills (beyond academics) rather than external comparisons.

She shares, “My advice to them is that they don’t need to look at someone else, because their priority should be their own well-being, their strength to grow, and the ability to do better. I remember not liking comparisons when I was younger, and I genuinely believe every child has a unique personality that’s special. We don’t need to be anyone else. That’s how I approach competition. Every morning, we begin with a prayer of gratitude and a simple message to them - Be the best version of yourself.”

The actress does not endorse a screen-focused lifestyle for children. She believes different activities, especially physical activity, is a very important part of a child’s mental and physical growth.

She says, “For my boys, physical activity is a way of life, and they never miss practice. Our holidays are also planned around their schedules, and even major events are willingly missed if there’s a tournament or game. They are extremely diligent about it. Playing sports instils a lot of life lessons, and it’s one of the most valuable things they’ve embraced. It teaches discipline, how to handle stress, and that losing is a part of life, with opportunities to grow better each time.”

She adds, “Riteish and I have learnt to enjoy what our sons love. You won’t remember the toys your parents gave you, but you will remember the moments spent together. One memorable tradition is Riteish’s unique whistle before our sons play soccer and during the game. They wait for it every time before stepping onto the field; it’s our way of cheering them on.”

Recognizing the significance of both traditional and contemporary approaches to parenting, Genelia prefers a route that incorporates the best of both. “Yes, our parents were stricter, but they were amazing at what they did, and we turned out fine,” she reflects, acknowledging that today’s children require a more balanced, hybrid approach.

She adds, “Kids today like reasoning, they have opinions and are encouraged to express them. You can’t compare parenting styles from different eras; we are in a different time now. We try to merge old-school values with new-age parenting, which I feel makes a significant difference in raising our children.”

Actor Pankaj Tripathi is known to bring fathers to life onscreen. From playing those endearing ones who are the wind beneath the wings of their daughters to those pure, undiluted sharing-a-smoke-on-the-terrace, listening to boy problems kinds, he has done it all. On Children’s Day today, we catch up with him to know about his bond with his 14-year-old daughter, Aashi. “I keep talking to her about eating fresh vegetables. Sometimes, she thinks that I’m being cute and other times, it annoys her,” laughs Tripathi, 45, when we asked him to describe their bond in a nutshell.

The actor, who grew up in the lap of Nature in his hometown in Bihar, is trying to give Aashi a similar experience: “I made sure that I live away from the city, so she gets to be close to greenery and the sea.”

He also adds that the pandemic has brought them closer. “I realise now that she has a satirical sense of humour. She also grasps things quickly, despite just being 14. She confided in me that she wants to work in an organisation that works with the environment or pursue law or become a theatre artiste,” shares Tripathi.

Talking about parenting and its challenges in the age of social media, the Mimi actor says, “It seems like children feel obligated to share their lives, feelings and emotions on social media. But my wife and I try to make Aashi aware of the virtual world as much as we can.”

He continues, “As parents, yeh important hota hai ki humko jo viraasat mein sanskriti mili hai, woh bachchon ko pass on karein. At home, we talk in Hindi and Bhojpuri. She’s also learning Marathi, Bengali.”

When curating a Children’s Day playlist, the most obvious selections are Lakdi Ki Kathi (Masoom, 1983), Nani Teri Morni Ko Mor Le Gaye (Masoom, 1960), Nanha Munna Rahi Hu (Son Of India, 1962), Hum Bhi Agar Bachche Hote (Door Ki Awaaz, 1964) and many others such classic tracks, that have remained a constant favourite with kids (and adults too!). Then came Chak Dhoom Dhoom (Dil Toh Pagal Hai, 1997), Chhota Bachcha Jaan Ke Hum Ko (Masoom, 1996) and Bam Bam Bole (Taare Zameen Par, 2007).

Once an essential part of Bollywood movies, the number children’s songs has gone down considerably in films, and the ones that are there could never match the popularity of songs like Lakdi Ki Kathi or Aao Tumhe Chand Pe Le Jaye. “There can never be a replacement for these old favourites,” says singer Udit Narayan, who has sung popular tracks like O Mere Papa The Great (Papa The Great, 2000) and Oh I Love You Daddy (Akele Hum Akele Tum, 1995), adding, “The reason is that the writing of those songs and the composition was so good that it connected with the audience of every age group, every generation. It is difficult to find those kinds of songs today.”

Udit Narayan adds that when we talk about children’s songs in films, it is impossible not to talk about child artistes who would be an integral part of film plots earlier. But over time, as the role of child artistes in Bollywood stories reduced, songs specific to children were no longer needed.

Music composer and singer Salim Merchant adds, “Even the projection of kids has changed. Take the example of movies like Dangal or Bajrangi Bhaijaan, both of which features kids in prominent roles, but the storyline was communicating something that is not specific to only kids. So children’s songs today do not really fit in most of the stories that we are narrating in our films. There are fewer stories or situations which would demand such a song.”

Lyricist Raj Shekhar, who made his Bollywood debut with Tanu Weds Manu and has written children’s stories, says that in films he grew up watching, kids were an important part of stories. “What I liked was that they were treated as an important character, not a supporting element in the film, and even the songs were written keeping this in mind. If you take the example of the song Hum Laayein Hain Toofan Se Kashti Nikal Ke (Jagriti, 1954), the song is addressed to children. When that scenario changed in films over time, even writing for kids reduced, which I think is sad. We are failing in giving the present generation music that is written exclusively for them,” he says.

In times when social media hits decide the fate of songs, a lot of effort goes into making music that can be a commercial hit and also gain traction online. “In such a scenario, creating a kid’s song feels like a risk when the movie is not about them,” says singer Javed Ali, adding that out of many songs offered to him, he has barely sung two-three tracks which were for kids. “Not just me, this will be the case with all the singers, as there are hardly any songs being written for kids. These specifics that were once an important part of films — like a Holi song, Raksha Bandhan song or Diwali song — are becoming rare. Even if films have them, most of these songs just come and go.”

“Let’s not forget to talk about the changing preferences and choices of modern kids,” says Salim Merchant, adding, “I have seen kids in my own home and once they grow out of their nursery rhyme phase, what they consume are songs which are for adults. The songs that are created today in films can’t be created for any segment. To make them popular, it is important that they are created keeping in mind the larger audience, which also includes kids.”

- Nani Teri Morni Ko Mor Le Gaye (Masoom, 1960)

- Lakdi Ki Kathi (Masoom, 1983)

- Nanha Munna Rahi Hu (Son Of India, 1962)

- Phoolon Ka Taaron Ka (Hare Rama Hare Krishna, 1971)

- Chanda Hai Tu Mera Suraj Hai Tu (Aradhana, 1969)

- Aao Tumhe Chand Pe le Jaayein (Zakhmee, 1975)

- Hum Bhi Agar Bachche Hote (Door Ki Awaaz, 1964) \ Railgaadi (Aashirwad, 1968)

- Ichak Dana Beechak Dana (Shree 420, 1955)

- Re Mama Re Mama Re (Andaz, 1971)

- Dadi Amma Dadi Amma Maan Jao (Gharana, 1961)

- Bachche Man Ke Sacche (Do Kaliyan, 1968)

- Hum Laayein Hain Toofan Se Kashti Nikal Ke (Jagriti, 1954)

- Chanda Mama Door Ke (Vachan, 1955)