This is something that I’ve held very strong in my heart.

I addressed this even when I got a chance to speak about my mother in a forum. I said, I think as much credit we have given to the mothers, as much we have celebrated motherhood…

And I don’t think I have to explain, probably, I have spoken about how beautiful it is, this whole process of motherhood and loving a mother and understanding the unconditional love of a mother.

I don’t think we have done justice to father.

In fact, do you know, we don’t even have enough songs to do justice to the emotion of a father?

I can play ten songs about the mother. For the father, I only have to sing! Somehow from the beginning, we have… Correct!

I don’t want to compare, mother is great, okay? Subject over now, Father’s Day. Because the woman has been designed to be a lover.

For a man, it’s a learned trait. And I don’t think we can deny this, that so many of us are where we are and what we are because your father decided in every way, your life should be far, far, far better than what his own life was. I don’t think we can deny that. Yes, a dad may not be very expressive.

A dad may not always tell you, a dad is always shy of his tears, so he probably conceals it. Many dads communicate to you through the mother. They need a channel through which they express themselves.

But when something is not okay with you, you should see the way a dad’s heart beats.

When something needs to be done in your life, you should see a dad run. When something is not okay with you, you should see the helplessness in which a dad finds himself and every moment you succeed in life, you should see that silent spectator, who may not put his hand up immediately and say that he played a role in whatever is happening in your life. He is always a silent spectator.

Probably stands beside and just admires something beautiful that’s happening in your life, but you should watch it to experience it.

I don’t want any one of you to miss this opportunity, here and wherever, from deep inside to recognize a very selfless heart,  because we always say a mother’s love is very selfless.

I think, so is a dad’s love! Very very selfless. Probably every dad has worked enough for himself long time back in life.

And I think they’re still pushing on, prodding on, not because they need more for themselves in life.

You’re their future. You are their everything.

In terms of standard of life, there is no question about it.

Every dad has ensured that his children lived a far greater life than probably what he experienced. As I always say, maybe he had slippers, you had shoes. Maybe even today he sleeps in a fan, but you have an AC.

There’s no question about it.

In fact, as this generation, it is easy for me to understand.

The biggest room in the house is yours.

The best car in the house is yours, the most sophisticated mobile in the house is yours. The best bathroom in the house is yours. The biggest wardrobe in the house is probably yours.

But I want you to understand this and for a moment, spare a thought about your dad.

The way he brought you up in life is, was not like that.

The best was not for him.

The best was always for you. Think about it.

When he probably went in public transport, he bought the first cycle for you. Or probably, he had a cycle, but he bought the first bike for you. Maybe he studied in a corporation school or an aided school, but he sent you to a convent.

Maybe he ensured that you studied in the best of the educational institutions.

Maybe even funding your education properly was not easy for them. But it didn’t matter. He never used that as a reason to stop you from you experiencing whatever you experienced in life.

Probably in some of the cases, his entire life’s earning finally got expended in seeing you married to the right family and having the right life. And it didn’t matter to him. He went back to work to start all over again.

When I know that I am part of a generation where the best of everything is first to us, to know that, I have been parented by a father where the best of everything was not for him, but it was for you! He believed the best of everything should first go to his children much before he entitled anything for himself.

It’ll be belittling by saying, I want you to close your eyes and feel grateful to your dad, or express gratitude. I’ll be belittling you.

I’ll be belittling what feelings you should hold for a dad. But I just want you to recognize right now, what it is.

Probably it doesn’t even occur, because a mother’s… Many of you sitting here may not have known today is Father’s Day. Mother’s Day, there’s a lot of noise that is made. Many of you sitting here, may not have even known today is a Father’s Day.

And that is how much a father is taken for granted. So on behalf of all of you, to every dad sitting here and wherever.

Thank you so much. Thank you so much!