Iconic on-screen dads of Bollywood

Metrolife brings to you some of Bollywood's talented father figures

As we celebrate Father’s Day on June 20, in honour of all filmy fathers everywhere, let’s look at some all-time favourite fathers in Bollywood movies. These are the reel-life dads who have not only made us laugh but also loved, terrified and entertained us over the years.

Amrish Puri

Amrish Puri’s portrayal of ‘Baldev Singh’, a strict father with orthodox Indian values in ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’ (DDLJ), made him one of the most memorable father figures in the industry. DDLJ is the longest-running Indian movie in history, and along with it lives on Amrish Puri’s character of ‘Mogambo Dad’ to his two daughters.

Alok Nath

If you’re recalling Bollywood dads and you leave out Alok Nath, then your list is incomplete. Over the years, Alok Nath has been typecast as the ‘Sanskari father’, with his portrayal of loving and gentle father in movies such as ‘Maine Pyar Kiya’, ‘Hum Aapke Hai Koun’, ‘Hum Saath Saath Hai’ and ‘Vivaah’.

Amitabh Bachchan

Popularly known as ‘The angry young man’, Bachchan’s journey as on-screen dad started with his conservative dad character in Aditya Chopra’s ‘Mohabbatein’. Post that, he played legendary father figure roles in many Bollywood blockbusters such as ‘Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham’, ‘Baghban’ and ‘Piku’.

Naseeruddin Shah

‘DK’, played by Naseeruddin Shah in ‘Masoom’ was a role ahead of its time. In the movie, he played the role of a man whose life is clouded with the guilt of infidelity. He continues to play father figure roles in the industry today, especially roles that push the boundary of what being a father actually means.

Anupam Kher

Since the '90s, Anupam Kher has played a wide variety of dad roles in many Bollywood movies. He portrayed a villainous dad in ‘Rang De Basanti’, ‘Kaho Naa Pyar Hai’, etc. But his roles of a friendly dad, with good comic timing, in movies like ‘DDLJ’, are the ones that made him made so popular among the masses.

Shah Rukh Khan

Shah Rukh Khan’s portrayal of a father and widower in ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hain’ remains one of the highlights of his acting career. His role as ‘Rahul’, the father of an eight-year-old girl, was loved by one and all, making him the cutest father of the '90s. ‘Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna’, ‘Bhootnath’ and ‘Ra One’ are some of the other films in which he has played a father.