- Anil Kapoor admitted to being an absent father during his children's growing years
- Sunita Kapoor raised their children almost like a single parent
- Anil Kapoor said he should have spent more time with his son than his daughters
Anil Kapoor, 69 now, appears to be balancing his professional and personal life with equal ease. But the truth is beyond what meets the eye.
The ‘Daddy cool' of tinsel town candidly admitted in a recent podcast that he was mostly an ‘absent' father during the growing‑up years of his children, while Sunita had raised them almost like a ‘single' parent. The Thar actor shared that he should have spent more time with his son than with his daughters.
'Sunita has been like a single parent'
“I was hardly there. If my children say positive things about me, I feel happy that I have raised them well. But as a father, I could have been much better. I should have spent more time. In many ways, Sunita has been like a single parent. I was present, but not the way a father should be,” he said on Lily Singh's podcast.
Kapoor added that he was not aware of his children's day‑to‑day lives, as his wife used to remind him of tidbits from their lives.
“I barely knew which class they were in. I wouldn't remember their birthdays—my wife would remind me. They would ask me, ‘When is my birthday?' and I would go blank. But they have grown up to be wonderful, happy individuals,” he said.
'Don't have regrets'
However, the actor said he doesn't look back and has no regrets.
“I don't have any regrets. I am not someone who dwells on the past. I move on because I have to stay strong. If I start overthinking or regretting, it won't be good for my family.
“God has given me everything. Why regret small things? They are doing well, they are happy, settled in their lives, and focused on both family and career. So, no regrets,” he added.
“I think I should have spent more time with my son than with my daughters,” he added.
'I don't connect as a father'
In an afterthought, he said, “Sometimes a son needs his father more. Daughters often have a special bond with their mother. A son may need that father figure more, but I wasn't there.”
Asked if this has impacted his son's well‑being, Kapoor thoughtfully replied, “How would I know? I am still learning. We are friends, and sometimes I wonder—was it right to be just a friend? I have never tried to be a strict father. Maybe that was a mistake. I connect with them more as a friend than as a father. There are moments when I feel vulnerable or emotional—that's just who I am.”
Kapoor credited his wife, Sunita Kapoor, for raising their children with strong values. “If you see the way my daughters are, the credit goes more to her. Their confidence, honesty, and individuality—it all comes from her.”
Anil Kapoor has been married to Sunita Kapoor since 1984. They are parents to three children: Sonam, Rhea, and Harshvardhan.