Father's Day Special: TV's coolest dads

Modern-day fathers are doing it all. From cooking to tying the pigtails of their daughters, to being friends rather than fearsome beings to their sons. And this difference is quite visible on television, as well, where the fathers are not cut from the stereotypical cloth, reflect reality and thus, are winning hearts.    

Raman Kumar Bhalla (Karan Patel) 
Yeh Hai Mohabbatein
Initially, he was brash and rude, refusing to even acknowledge his daughter Ruhi’s presence. He resented her because his wife Shagun (Anita Hassanandani) left her with him, taking along their son Aditya who he was fond of. But thanks to Ishita (Divyanka Tripathi), his attitude towards his daughter changes and he fights for her custody! He plays an important role in making his son Aditya differentiate between good and bad, and helps him become a calmer person. A doting father, now Raman is more like a friend to Ruhi and Aditya, with whom he spends all his free time.

Niranjan Chaturvedi (Hiten Tejwani) 
Ganga
He is neither her biological father nor has he officially adopted her. But he is the father-figure to little Ganga, who is an orphan and a widow. A father of two sons, he defies societal norms and incurs his mother’s and sister-in-law’s wrath when he brings home Ganga whom he meets when she loses her family. Initially, he finds a shelter for her, but when she tells him that she is being ill-treated because of her widowhood, he takes her away from there telling people in no uncertain terms that she is a child and doesn’t even know what has happened with her. He uses the same argument with his mother when she along with the sister-in-law tries to pass Ganga as a maid to another family. When his mother denies education to her, he brings a teacher home to tutor her. He treats his sons and Ganga on par, so much so that when Ganga takes the blame for one of his son’s wrong doing, he ensures equal punishment to both. If that’s not a cool dad, who is?

Nachiket Khanna (Ronit Roy) 
Itna Karo Na Mujhe Pyaar
He started out as the kind of father who has no time for his children. A busy doctor, he would pamper his kids with expensive gifts but wouldn’t be present at important events in his kids’ lives. Divorced with three out of the five children in his custody, Nachiket was the stereotypical dad till one day self-realisation dawned and he changed. When his 18-year-old daughter Nishi wants to get married to a guy whom she loves, and the mother opposes, she turns to her father for help. He not only convinces his ex-wife Ragini (Pallavi Kulkarni) to give her approval, whenever Nishi and her husband have fights, it’s Nachiket who makes her understand and solves the issues. When his son Aarav, who lives with Ragini, gets involved with goons and is kidnapped, he pays the ransom and extricates him out without telling Ragini. The duo’s divorce could have complicated things with the kids, but they never allow their differences to affect their relationship with the children.    

Naitik (Karan Mehra) 
Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai
He is a completely chilled-out dad. That doesn’t mean he turns a blind eye to his children’s wrongdoings, but he has no issues admitting his weaknesses too! He is a perfect representative of the modern-day dad, open, expressive and friendly. With his rebel-without-a-cause son Naksh, Naitik may be a bit strict, but with his 12-year-old daughter Naira, he is the kind of dad every little girl wishes for. He spends time with her, patiently listens to all her stories, plays with her, combs her hair and even cooks. So much so that, he is the one to whom Naira confides everything first. Her bonding with her dad is stronger than with her mom, exactly the way it is with little girls. No wonder she has him wrapped around her little finger!

Raj Malhotra (Sanjay Swaraj)
Jamai Raja
Not young, but definitely young at heart. He has supported his son Sid and daughter-in-law Roshni, stood by them through their troubles, offering them the right advice when they need it. He even accepted his stepdaughter Kritika (from his wife’s first marriage). When Kritika meets him for the first time, she is bitter towards her mother because she had left her. Raj steps up to her and says, ‘The past is past, now you have a father who will take care of you, don’t worry’ and embraces her. Every time she back-answers her mother, he admonishes her. He may be old, but his mindset is progressive and cool.