Shekhar Suman with son Adhyayan

“Please do not link my son to Iman,” says film director Imtiaz Ali’s father Mansoor Ali. “Whenever girls have come into Salman’s life, they are looking to be movie stars. So settling down is the last thing on his mind,” says a rather worried Salim Khan about his son’s unmarried status. Shekhar Suman goes a step further to set the Lakshman rekhas for son, Adhyayan, “I had told him to not let it (love and women in Adhyayan’s life) take him away from his work. And no public displays of affection on the sets.

” And then he gives his final word on the matter, “Adhyayan will not marry for at least 10 years.”
How old is Adhyayan, by the way? Only 24. So naturally, Daddy is just guiding him. But wait, Imtiaz Ali is not in his 20s. And Salman Khan? Well, never mind! So why are these stalwarts of singledom now finding themselves in the protective shadow of their loving and caring fathers?
Then there was, Madhubala’s father who was both famous and notorious for controlling his daughter’s film career.
“It’s only natural for a father to be protective and defensive about his child. It’s his way of telling the world that his famous son is not alone and the family stands rock solid behind him,” says director and scriptwriter Sanjay Puran Singh Chauhan about his friends and their fathers from the industry.
For years, film actresses have sought safety under their mothers’ shadows. But recently, director Bela Sehgal stepped forward to clarify Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s comments about her brother Sanjay Leela Bansali. And when Neetu Singh was gung ho about her charming son during a TV interview, announcing publicly that any girl would fall in love with an emotional and sensitive Ranbir Kapoor, it was not too hard to fathom her overwhelming love. After all, we have always known the concept of mamma’s boys. But it did raise some eyebrows when a spat between Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes took a paternal turn when both players’ fathers jumped into the debate.
The question is: do these men really need such fatherly guidance, especially for professional decisions?
It helps, says Mushtaq Shiekh, who has authored many books on Bollywood actors. “Sometime when it comes to worldly ways, maybe a dad is in a better position to guide, counsel or protect his offspring than a mother,” he adds. Though some viewers may find it hard to digest this newfound love between father and son, Renuka Ahuja, a film buff, argues that when an audience is mature and understands how the PR and film industry works, there is no need for parents to cover up for their celebrity children, let alone for well established actors, directors and sports personalities. “It’s nice to know about family bonding but sometimes petty issues get out of proportion because of family interference,” she adds.
Whether such tactics are based on promotional instincts or plain paternal love is hard to tell. After all, it’s a matter of ‘family will stand up for family’ feels film critic Joginder Tuteja who thinks that it is a win-win situation for both the media and the celebrities involved. “There are many channels to put your point of view across. Some celebrity fathers keep updating audiences about their kids’ careers on various networking sites. Parents are finding new ways to show their concern for their children,” he concludes.