Papa Kehte Hain

This Father’s Day, these words are more than just the beginning of an iconic 80s song, as desi celebs share with us the things their dads have said to them to teach them some of life’s most crucial lessons

Sharman Joshi, actor My father believed in enjoying the simple things in life and taking advantage of small pleasures that can transform your mundane life into something extraordinary. Since he used to believe in simple living, he had always made me realise the importance of living in the present and not dwelling either in the past or future. Taking only a minute to enjoy something simple could be the difference between a so-so day, and an amazing one. In our crazy-busy and over stimulating world, it’s easy to overlook the small things we do on a regular basis that could fill our day with joy. I have been following the same principle even now, and it is surely something that I’d like to pass on to my children too.

Gurmeet Choudhary, actor It’s got to be the idea of saving. He made me realise the importance of money: saving, investing and spending it correctly. Whatever I’ve done till now with regards to my finances has been due to the strong yet healthy disciplining that my father through his guidance has ingrained in me.

Karuna Pande, actress My father taught me how to be independent and I owe my confidence to him.

He helped me believe in myself and always encouraged me to take a leap. He was the best father and a great human being. He lived his life king size and was always willing to help others without any expectations.

He has always been my source of inspiration and will continue to be for the rest of my life.

Asha Negi, actress The one thing my father has always told me throughout my life is to live a simple, economical and humble life. He has taught me that one must always stay down-to-earth even when one is at the highest point of one’s life, because humility and grace is what matters most. So yes, this teaching of his will always be with me through the rest of my life.

Kunwar Amarjeet Singh, actor and dancer My dad always told me this one thing whenever there were low points in my life: When we try to pick mangoes from a tree and they don’t come off into our hands in one go, we don’t give up on them and leave, but continue trying to pluck them off the tree. That’s how it should be in your life too — keep trying until you get what you want, no matter how steep the odds look, and never give up! Keep chasing your dream till it’s yours, he always says, and his words will resound in my mind forever.

Rithvik Dhanjani, actor I remember my dad always telling me that the life I am going to lead is going to be my own life in every sense of the word, and it will therefore be a life that I am going to be solely responsible for. He would say to me, you have to fight your own fight! There will be nobody around to really stand up for you whenever you need someone to.

I know that there was nobody who stood up for my dad through the struggles and travails of his life. He is a self-made man. And how to be one with dignity and self-reliance is what he has always taught me.

It is one lesson that is still with me and will stay with me for the rest of my life.

Debina Bonnerjee, actress When I was a little girl, my father would always say to me that I was a rich daughter of a poor father. He would always tell me that, and till today those words hold a lot of meaning for me and occupy a special place in my heart.

Gaurav Shetty, scion of MRG group of companies As a child I always saw my father work very hard and diligently on every project at work and similarly at home to bring family and community together. Dad has always been a firm believer in the Almighty and that has helped him overcome all the hurdles and hardships he faced in life. One thing that he has always told me since childhood is that sincerity and honesty are the only tools to carve the road to success.

Sherlyn Chopra, actress My father and mom accomplished this together, but he put the emphasis on it. My dad would tell me everyday to be a goal digger. He would encourage me to change my game plan if things didn’t work out but he was never in favour of changing one’s life’s goal. His philosophy imbibed a sense of risk-taking in me. As an adult, my goal in life is to be happy and at peace with myself. Over the years, I have made it a thumb rule to think, to do and to be all that which makes my soul happy and joyful.

Dipika Kakar, actress The one thing my father always told me as a child, and still tells me for that matter, is: Don’t just dream your dream, but chase it till it’s yours! He has always encouraged, supported and motivated me to take up whatever I have wanted to in life, and so today I have not only dreamed my dream but have in fact made it my reality! His encouragement will always live with me and keep me going!

Chandan Anand, actor My dad is my world! To me, he is the most handsome and dashing person I have ever met in life. More importantly, he is an institution of learning and knowledge. Everything I do in life is with the goal to make him proud. He has done so much for me and to date calls me if I don’t speak with him for two days, as I am busy shooting.

He enjoys travelling and it was his dream to travel the world with my mother. After her passing, it is now my dream to take him on a world tour. He has always told us to live every moment to the fullest and thank God for the beautiful journey that is life.