Veteran Bollywood actor Anupam Kher recently offered a poignant and deeply personal reflection on the complex, ever-changing dynamics between a father and his son. The acclaimed star took to his official Instagram account to share a heartfelt video message, where he eloquently traced the emotional journey a son undergoes in perceiving his father from childhood to old age.
The Evolution of a Son's Perspective
In his candid address, Anupam Kher framed his thoughts as a crucial life lesson titled "Never Argue with your father". He meticulously outlined how a son's opinion of his father transforms dramatically with each passing year. "The title of this lesson is, 'Never Argue with your father'", Kher began, setting the stage for a narrative familiar to many.
He described the initial stages of blind admiration, where at ages five and seven, a father is an all-knowing hero. This perception starts to shift as the son enters his pre-teens and teenage years. By the age of ten, doubts creep in, leading to the belief at fourteen that the father "doesn't know anything". The rebellious phase peaks around sixteen and eighteen, where the father is seen as "completely mad" and not to be taken seriously.
The actor highlighted the arrogance of young adulthood at twenty-five, where the son feels he knows more and dismisses his father's words as nonsense. However, Kher pointed to the turning point that comes with maturity.
The Journey to Realization and Regret
Anupam Kher's narrative took a reflective turn as he described the son's growing wisdom. At thirty, there's a dawning realization that the father was right about some things. By forty, the son is surprised at his father's patience and tolerance. The full circle is completed at forty-five, with the acknowledgment that the father was always right, culminating in a poignant wish at fifty: "I wish my father were here, I could learn something from him."
Through this timeline, Kher beautifully captured the universal cycle of rebellion, understanding, and eventual reverence that defines so many paternal relationships. He emphasized that while gaining life experience takes time, one should never prematurely doubt a father's accumulated wisdom.
Kher's Unwavering Advice on Respect
Concluding his emotional monologue, the veteran actor offered clear and firm advice. He urged sons to maintain respect above all else. "Never argue with your father. Be quiet, or get out of there, but never let his respect be tarnished. Because a father knows everything", he stated with conviction.
This powerful message from Anupam Kher resonates deeply in the Indian cultural context, where family bonds hold paramount importance. His words serve as a gentle reminder of the invaluable, though sometimes challenging, lessons embedded in the father-son relationship, encouraging empathy and patience from both generations.
