On screen father-children in focus on father’s day

Mumbai, June 16,

On Father’s Day, it would be quite apt to list 10 films inspired by the deep ties between dads and kids. In ‘Apne’ (2007) reel life father and son meets real life dad and son in Baldev (Dharmendra) and Angad (Sunny Deol). ‘Baghban’ shows how Amitabh Bachchan as father (and mother) react when his (their) children (Aman Verma, Samir Soni, Saahil Chadha and Nasir Khan) show ingratitude for all their sacrifices.

Father- daughter (Paresh Rawal-Tabu) relationship is tested in the 2007 film Cheeni Kum. This film brought in a humorous and fresh, even bold take on a love story. Aamir Khan immortalized Mahavir Singh Phogat, the Hariyanvi wrestler who was on a life mission to make his daughters champion world-class wrestlers in ‘Dangal’. Portraying a dark role, Ajay Devgn is a father who protects his daughter at all costs in the 2015 remake of Malayalam movie ‘Drishyam’.

In ‘Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham’ Amitabh Bachchan captured the ethos of an angry father, who actually loves both his sons (Shah Rukh Khan and Hrithik Roshan) equally but whose anger takes on an unreasonable color. An adaptation from the Turkish film, “Our Family’, the 1978 movie ‘Khatta Meetha’ tells the story of a Parsi widower (Ashok Kumar) who marries a Parsi widow and has to struggle with dealing the children from both sides.
A historic father-son relationship, Emperor Akbar (Prithviraj Kapoor) and his son Salim (Dilip Kumar), is tested in the 1960 movie ‘Mughal-E-Azam’. The film shows a father torn between duty and family, between love for his son and class distinctions.

In a reversal of roles Abhishek Bachachan portrays a father to his real dad Amitabh in ‘Paa’ released in 2009. In ‘Shakti’ Dilip Kumar is an idealistic police officer who refuses to kowtow to criminals who kidnap his only son so that he will release their associate.