Father's Day Special: Bollywood movies bid goodbye to fathers

1988, Mumbai: Shooting
Film: Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak
Director to assistants (yelling):
Day 1: We're shooting the most important song: Papa Kehte Hain bada naam karega... this will be a hit
Day 2: "Hero heroine ke papa ko bulao yaar. Where are they? We're doing very important family scenes here. What? They're not on the location yet? Shooting kaise complete hogi? Saala, hero ka baap hi nahin aya toh? Pack up karo. Unko bolo kal jaldi aane ko!"

1989, Mumbai: Shooting
Film: Maine Pyar Kiya

Director to assistants:
Yeh film ka sabse important scene hai - climax mein hero heroine ke papa aapas mein fight karenge, which will separate the lovers. Towards the end, both the fathers will agree to end their egos, unite the lovers... happy ending.

1995: Mumbai, Shooting
Film: Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge
Director to Amrish Puri: Sir, you play the heroine's father. He plays the key role. The hero (SRK) will do all it takes to impress the heroiine's dad.... in the end, YOU will say, 'Jaa Simran, je le apni zindagi' handing her over to her lover... that's how the film will end.

10 YEARS LATER....

2005: Mumbai, shooting:
Film; Salaam Namaste

Director to scriptwriter: Look, Saif and Preity Zinta are going to play a couple in a live-in relationship, who live away from their parents... and take their own decisions in life.... so, please delete the dad's role in this film. It's not required....
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And now, the hero - instead of singing songs like 'Daddy cool...' 'Daddy Se Poochunga...' or 'Papa Kehte Hain bada naam karega...' - confidently sings, 'Gharwaalon ko bhi bye shy bol baal ke, aaya..'

Indian families are shrinking from joint families to nuclear families to youngsters living away from their parents (usually pursuing MBA in London, or marketing in Massachussets). And Indian films - which are now a relfection of real life - are following suit.

So, if you're asked to name a few of the popular Bollywood flicks, you'll name - Cocktail, Jab Tak Hai Jaan, Race 2, Aashiqui 2, Dabangg 2, Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani, et al. Precisely, movies where the father's role was little, the least, or not there at all. Gone are the days when the hero would go out of his way to impress his ladylove's dad, in order to win her.

Rajesh Khanna did it in Bawarchi. Next generation, Shah Rukh Khan did it in Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, but his next generation, (let's say) Ranbir Kapoor, did not really bother the dad. Instead, it was all between the boy and the girl in most of his films, and dads... well, they were probably informed that "We've decided to get married".

Perhaps our young audience is now not interested in papa's interference in the love stories.

So, no more entries ala Amitabh Bachchan style, "Rishtey mein to hum tumhare baap lagtey hain?"

But, thanks to Karan Johar and all slapstick comedies (what with songs like 'Papa toh band bajayein'),
father's are not totally gone yet. Cheer up, all the daddies, it's Father's Day. Baap toh aakhir baap hota hai !