‘Parenting is as vast as a galaxy and not just a mother changing diapers’
Children need to feel loved and protected with a parent who can have their back,doesn’t matter if it’s a man or a woman alone. TUSSHAR KAPOOR, Actor
Actor Tusshar Kapoor is a doting father to Laksshya, who will turn five next month. And being a single parent himself, the actor doesn’t believe in the notions that mandate involvement of a female figure in parenting.
“Parental instincts are universal and definitely not gender-specific,” says the Golmaal actor, who was contemplating having a child for a few years but wasn’t looking for marriage. “Some friends from the US exposed me to the idea of being a single parent, with examples of a few people who chose this route and started a family,” he adds.
Kapoor welcomed Laksshya into his life through surrogacy. “I didn’t decide on it, until one day while conversing with Prakash Jha (director), he happened to tell me – if you want a kid of your own, you can do it without marriage. You can always choose to adopt or can choose surrogacy to have your biological children,” he shares.
Having spent over four years with his son now, Kapoor has only gained more clarity about his role as a parent. “A mother changes the diaper and feeds the children; people think that’s all there is to parenting. Parenting is as vast as a galaxy. Parenting starts with unconditional love followed by being involved in your child’s growth and standing by them through milestones. A father has a different way of expressing their feelings – they can be less protective with a different style of parenting. The attitude and approach may be different, but instincts and feelings are all the same,” he shares.
However, the actor feels challenges of parenting are no different for a single parent compared to those having a partner. “It’s not like I’ve it harder or easier than anybody else with children, it’s equally challenging,” he says, adding, “I don’t think children need the presence of both parents. It’s about the right involvement… Children need to feel loved and protected with a parent who can have their back, doesn’t matter if it’s a man or a woman alone.”