‘Iwasa bad father, my children are far better parents’
The lockdown has been a bane for many, but for Jeetendra, the past couple of months have been an eyeopener. The veteran actor reveals this period has given him a chance to see his children, both single parents, Ekta and Tusshar Kapoor’s parenting skills up close and realise his failings as a father.
“When my children were young, I was busy shooting in three shifts a day, running here and there, travelling. In our times we used to be very insecure, we used to do a lot of movies all at once, so there was hardly any time for the children which I feel very bad about today. It was a way of life and my family understood,” shares Jeetendra.
The actor, lauding how Tusshar and Ekta are raising their kids — Laksshya (three) and Ravie (one), respectively, says, “Now, especially during the lockdown, when I watch them and how they’re devoting time to their children, I realise they are wonderful parents despite being single parents. I feel I was such a bad father. I am 79 and learning so much from them.”
Jeetendra says he is thankful to his children for giving him the opportunity to spend such a lovely time with their kids. “I’m reliving my childhood through my grandchildren. I don’t remember doing the kind of masti, which I do with my grandchildren, with my kids when they were young,” adds the actor, who returned to the screen with a cameo in a recent web series, Baarish 2.
In fact, Jeetendra says the lockdown has hardly affected his schedule. “I anyway never went to our production office. I am into construction but it is more like a liaison job. But there is one problem I face, and that is the fact that my friends can’t meet me,” he shares.
However, the actor’s family doesn’t let him feel lonely. “That is compensated by my children and grandchildren as they are around all the time. I am enjoying every moment of it,” he says.