Actors Neetu Kapoor and Riddhima Kapoor Sahni, who are currently promoting their upcoming film Daadi Ki Shaadi, recently opened up about parenting, grandparenting and family dynamics during a conversation with Soha Ali Khan. During the candid chat, Neetu spoke at length about granddaughter Raha Kapoor, praising both Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor as parents.
Talking about Raha’s bond with her parents, Neetu said, “Raha listens to Alia and she is a great mother, but Ranbir is like a friend to her. He does all the fun and masti with her, but she is very scared of her mother because Alia is a disciplinarian.”
Praising Alia’s parenting style, Neetu added, “She is very good with the child. She is teaching her the right things — no TV and no unnecessary things.”
The veteran actor also joked about frequently disagreeing with Alia over spoiling Raha. “I am always fighting with her, saying, ‘Alia, at least let me give her one chocolate.’ But she says, ‘No, can’t you understand sugar is not good for her?’ I tell her, ‘It’s okay, I am the grandmother, let me spoil her.’”
ALSO READ: Daadi Ki Shaadi movie review: Neetu Kapoor, Kapil Sharma star in a creaky melodrama
Neetu Kapoor on evolving parenting styles
Reflecting on how parenting styles have evolved over the years, Neetu admitted that things were very different when she was raising her own children.
“Today there is much more awareness. During my time, there was no awareness about things like no TV or no sugar. My children would watch television every day while eating. They would watch Bhagwan Dada and Amar Akbar Anthony during meals,” she recalled.
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She added that she respects the choices today’s parents make and does not believe in interfering. “Times are different. I did the best I could during my time, and today they are the best parents and know what to do. I don’t want to interfere. I just want to be a good grandmother and indulge Raha and Samara.”
‘Raha calls me Dida’
When asked whether children tend to be closer to their maternal grandmothers than paternal grandmothers, Neetu shared her perspective. “Mothers keep talking about their own mothers, so naturally there is a bond. But I am very lucky because we are all living together,” she said, adding that Raha lovingly calls her “Dida.”
Riddhima Kapoor Sahni also spoke about Raha’s affection for Neetu. “Raha adores her grandmother. Even her father (Ranbir) used to constantly say ‘mom, mom’ all the time. She takes after her father,” she said.
‘Rishi Kapoor maintained distance from his children’
The conversation also turned to late actor Rishi Kapoor’s parenting style. Neetu shared that Rishi believed fathers should maintain a certain distance from their children.
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“My husband wanted to keep that distance. He used to say, ‘I am the father,’ so the children should not become too friendly with him. He always maintained that distance with Ranbir and Riddhima because he felt they should have that fear. The moment he came home, the children would run to their rooms,” she recalled.
Riddhima, however, clarified that they were never truly afraid of him. “From our perspective, we were never afraid of him, but my dad was very particular about certain things. Lights had to be switched off, fans had to be switched off. We were children, so the moment Papa came home, we would run to our rooms to check whether we had switched off the lights or not,” she shared.
Neetu reiterated, “There was a kind of fear, and he wanted that. But that fear disappeared after Riddhima got married.”
To which Riddhima agreed, “Then we became very close and he would call me and talk to me like a friend,” she added.
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Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt tied the knot on April 14, 2022, in a private ceremony at their Mumbai home, Vastu. They welcomed their daughter, Raha Kapoor, on November 6, 2022.
