Father's Day Special: 'My father is the best'

'If I am anything today, it is because of my father’s support.'

Bollywood's stars give love to their dads.

With Father's Day coming up this Sunday, we asked Bollywood's stars to talk about their doting daddies.

Here's what they said:

Sonakshi Sinha, on father Shatrughan Sinha

I have always been the apple of my father’s eye. I am the most pampered person at home since I am the youngest. Also, because I am a girl.

He is the best father that I could have asked for.

Even though he is away at work -- most of the time he is in Delhi and Patna -- he always makes an effort to spend time with us.

My father and I don’t discuss movies, work and politics at home. We have normal conversations just like anyone else. We ask what we did throughout the day.

There were worries about my father’s health but he is absolutely fine now. He went for a regular check-up that he does every month. People just made a mountain out of a molehill.

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Tamannaah, on father Santosh Bhatia

My father is the reason I am able to survive in this industry.

Initially, in my career, my father took care of my work.

Many actors have no parental support. They are often misguided, their finances aren’t taken care of. They are unprotected and have bad memories of being part of the film industry.

I have always been protected by my father.

My parents travelled with me on my shoots when I was a kid (She started her film career at the age of 14) until I became old enough to deal with things on my own.

If I am anything today, it is because of my father’s support.

Esha Gupta, on father Arun Gupta

My dad is a retired air force officer. I am totally a daddy’s girl.

We have arguments and fights. There are days when we will call each other and not even say 'love you' to each other. But that’s the kind of relationship we have.

I had my first drink with him.

I had my first basketball game with him.

If you don’t have a father or a husband who is supportive, understanding and broad-minded, it really breaks you down. It can turn you into a rebel, doing what you are told not to do, like sneaking out of the house, drinking, getting into drugs.

I am really glad that I have the kind of father I do.

My mother is my strength because of the emotional connect, but I think I am very close to my dad.

He hates being there (in Delhi) with my mother and sister because they fight every time and he keeps on saying he is dying over there without me.

My father has met all my boyfriends and he sits with all my friends and drinks.

My friends go and meet him and call him by his first name, Arun.

Uday Chopra, on father, the late Yash Chopra

I had a deep bond with my father.

I cherish every memory spent with him.

Both of us were early risers and would wake up by 6 am. Everybody else would be asleep.

My father would do his yoga and I would read the newspapers and have coffee. That one and a half hour in the morning spent with him was like bliss, as no one would disturb us.

We would talk about anything and everything; we became like brothers. In fact, we would often joke around that we are brothers and Adi (Aditya Chopra) is our father (laughs).

There were times when we would conspire against Adi. We would not tell him a lot of things, as we were scared that he would not feel good. But all this was done in jest.

My father’s greatest strength was that he was a people’s person. He loved people and people loved him.

He kept all the relationships alive and tried to inculcate them.

I had often seen him going out of his way to help someone or make someone feel good. He would call people out of the blue just to know how they were doing and have a causal conversation. And this habit of his was not restricted to family and friends. He would call random people and just talk with them.

He passed away too early. I'm yet to come to terms with that loss. I miss a friend in him.

Shraddha Kapoor, on father Shakti Kapoor

I really loved my father's work.

As a kid, I used to accompany him to the sets of his films. He always played the villain and I used to shout at him for doing villain roles. Then my mother explained that he is just acting.

It was my frequent visits to the sets that got me interested in acting. To have such a brilliant actor as my father is a very proud feeling.

I am not at all embarrassed by my father's performances.

I was popular in school because of my father. I remember in school my friends used to tease me with his comic characters in films like Raja Babu and Andaz Apna Apna.

They would tease me saying 'Crime Master Gogo' and 'Nandu Sabka Bandu' and I used to feel nice.

I loved him in comic roles.

In real life, too, he is very funny.

Ram Kapoor, on father Anil Kapoor

My father is my hero! He's the most amazing man on this planet.

He's a very successful businessman. I will not become even half as successful as my father. I have to try and become one of the Khans to reach my fathers success.

I am his only son, still when he found out that I didn't want his company and that I wanted to be an actor, he has given me his full support.

I told him I wanted to become an actor at 13, and it was very hard for him to hear it at first. Today, he has no option but to sell his company to Americans because his son doesn’t want it.

He is one of my closest friends. I discuss my work in full detail only with him. I would not be where I am now without his support. He is what every single father should be like.

I hope to be a father like that to my children.

Despite all that, he supported me wholeheartedly.

Whatever I am today, I have learnt from my father.