Father's Faith Shaped Guneet Monga Kapoor's Success
Oscar-winning producer Guneet Monga Kapoor attributes her remarkable self-belief and professional achievements to her father, Damanjeet Singh Monga. In a candid conversation, she revealed how his teachings, from selling his gold kada to send her to America to never teaching her reverse driving, instilled in her an unshakable conviction that she is gifted and capable of anything. “Tum kuch bhi kar sakte ho,” he told her, and she has lived by that mantra.
The Abundance Mindset
Guneet recalls her father’s advice: “Mann mat maarna kabhi.” He taught her that even if money runs out, she should spend freely and not save. “He sat me down and said, ‘You have so much education, you can do anything. You are very empowered. You will never be on the street. You will always have a roof over your head. So never lose heart.’ That taught me abundance,” she says. This mindset allowed her to invest every penny in her films, never operating from a scarcity perspective.
No Reverse Driving
Her father’s unique life lessons extended to driving. When teaching her, he refused to teach reverse, saying, “Why? There’s no need to go backwards in life. You will never need to reverse. Just get out, people will help you.” Guneet admits she still struggles with reverse parking but remains confident in forward driving. “He would say, ‘Darna nahi hai life mein,’” she adds.
Standing Up to Teachers
When a Maths teacher threatened to prevent her from sitting for Board exams, Guneet confidently told the teacher to call her father. After meeting him, the teacher declared in class, “Guneet Monga, stand up. I like your father!” Her father had told the teacher, “My daughter is very intelligent. You don’t know how to teach. You give her attention, tell me what tuition you need.” Guneet scored 70 in that exam. “That faith—that’s how I’ve lived my life,” she says.
The Gold Kada Story
At age 12-13, her father announced in a parent-teacher meeting that his daughter would go on a school trip to America, despite having no money. He sold his gold kada, a wedding gift from his wife, to pay the one lakh rupees fee. Guneet didn’t know until later. “He sold his kada and sent me to America. I stayed an extra month with extended family and returned alone. That gave me independence,” she recalls. Later, when his business prospered, he bought new gold kadas for both of them.
Crashed Cars and No Scolding
Guneet recalls two car accidents. Once, while driving in rain, she didn’t know to reverse and crashed into a tree. Her father arrived, looked at the car, and joked, “Why did you choose this tree?” Another time, she destroyed a new Indica while racing on an expressway. When she called him, he said, “Leave it here. Let’s go buy a new car.” The next day, he bought a new one. “The point was: don’t let fear set in. No schooling, no screaming. That allowed me to hold my own in many rooms,” she explains.
Holding Her Own in Powerful Rooms
Guneet’s father always told her, “You don’t know how special you are. Whoever you work with, your presence will make their business thrive. Never think someone is doing you a favor.” This conviction enabled her to stand confidently among wealthy decision-makers from a young age. “When I had nothing, I still felt I could do everything. That conviction comes from my dad,” she says.
Life Is Beautiful: The Parallel
Guneet compares her father to the protagonist in the Italian film Life Is Beautiful (1997), where a father shields his son from the horrors of World War II by framing it as a game. “My dad is like that in my life. The world is burning, but I’m wearing rose-tinted glasses and living life,” she says.
As the only Indian producer to hold an Oscar, Guneet Monga Kapoor has indeed held her own in the biggest rooms—just as her father always believed she would.
