{"id":615825,"date":"2026-04-30T19:22:08","date_gmt":"2026-04-30T19:22:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/615825\/"},"modified":"2026-04-30T19:22:08","modified_gmt":"2026-04-30T19:22:08","slug":"anil-kapoor-admits-he-was-an-absent-father-sunita-was-like-a-single-parent-i-dont-have-any-regrets-i-move-on","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/615825\/","title":{"rendered":"Anil Kapoor admits he was an \u2018absent father\u2019: ‘Sunita was like a single parent… I don\u2019t have any regrets… I move on’ |"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Anil Veteran actor Anil Kapoor<\/a> may be known as Bollywood\u2019s evergreen \u201cdaddy cool,\u201d but the star has now candidly admitted that his off-screen reality as a father wasn\u2019t quite the same.In a recent conversation with Lilly Singh, the 69-year-old actor reflected on his parenting journey\u2014owning up to his absence during his children\u2019s growing-up years, while also crediting wife Sunita Kapoor for holding the family together.<\/p>\n

\u2018I was hardly there… I could have been much better\u2019<\/p>\n

Opening up about his role as a father, Kapoor didn\u2019t hold back.\u201cI 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,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u2018I wouldn\u2019t remember their birthdays\u2019<\/p>\n

Kapoor went on to reveal just how disconnected he sometimes was from his children\u2019s daily lives.\u201cI barely knew which class they were in. I wouldn\u2019t remember their birthdays\u2014my wife would remind me. They would ask me, \u2018When is my birthday?\u2019 and I would go blank. But they have grown up to be wonderful, happy individuals,\u201d he admitted.<\/p>\n

\u2018I don\u2019t have regrets… I move on\u2019<\/p>\n

Despite acknowledging his shortcomings, Kapoor said he does not dwell on the past.\u201cI don\u2019t 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\u2019t be good for my family,\u201d he shared.Expressing gratitude, he added, \u201cGod has given me everything. Why regret small things? They are doing well, they are happy, settled in their lives… so, no regrets.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018Maybe my son needed me more\u2019<\/p>\n

However, the actor did admit to one specific regret\u2014his equation with his son.\u201cI think I should have spent more time with my son than my daughters,\u201d Kapoor said, referring to Harsh Varrdhan Kapoor.Explaining further, he added, \u201cSometimes 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\u2019t there.\u201d <\/p>\n

Watch<\/p>\n

Anil Kapoor\u2019s Emotional Birthday Wish For Grandson Vayu | Sonam Kapoor & Anand Ahuja\u2019s Son Turns 3<\/p>\n

\u2018Was it right to just be a friend?\u2019<\/p>\n

Kapoor also reflected on his parenting style, questioning whether being more of a friend than a disciplinarian was the right approach.\u201cHow would I know? I am still learning. We are friends, and sometimes I wonder\u2014was 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,\u201d he said, adding that he still has \u201cvulnerable and emotional\u201d moments. <\/p>\n

\u2018The credit goes to Sunita\u2019<\/p>\n

While Kapoor may question his own role, he is clear about who deserves the credit for their children\u2019s upbringing.\u201cIf you see the way my daughters are, the credit goes more to her. Their confidence, honesty, and individuality\u2014it all comes from her,\u201d he said, referring to daughters Sonam Kapoor<\/a> and Rhea Kapoor<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Veteran actor Anil Kapoor may be known as Bollywood\u2019s evergreen \u201cdaddy cool,\u201d but the star has now candidly…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":615826,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[52],"tags":[73890,267250,267252,267251,267253,88,267248,206,267249,102820,267247,267246],"class_list":["post-615825","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-movies","tag-anil-kapoor","tag-anil-kapoor-admits-being-absent-father","tag-anil-kapoor-children","tag-anil-kapoor-family","tag-anil-kapoor-wife-sunita-kapoor","tag-entertainment","tag-harsh-varrdhan-kapoor","tag-movies","tag-rhea-kapoor","tag-sonam-kapoor","tag-sonam-kapoor-anand-ahujas","tag-sunita-kapoor"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/615825","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=615825"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/615825\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/615826"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=615825"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=615825"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=615825"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}