Sharad Kelkar (44) who is married to actor Keerti Gaekwad Kelkar, is a proud dad of seven-year-old Keesha, whom he tags as 'majhi kishmish' and often makes aww-dorable appearances on his Instagram. But is little Keesha a daddy's girl? He laughs, “For the past few days, I have not been able to spend enough time with her but I know slowly and gradually she will become a daddy's girl.”
One of Sharad’s best moments in life was when Keesha held his hand for the first time at 4.30 pm in Mumbai's Kokilaben Hospital. Recalling the moment, a misty-eyed Sharad says, “She was gazing at me. When I took her in my arms for the first time, I felt a rollercoaster of emotions. The joy was inexplicable. She calls me papaya and for me she is my kishmish.”
After Keesha's birth, his wife, Keerti, cut back on her work so she could be at home for their daughter. It was Keerti’s way of supporting Sharad. And Sharad did his bit by spending time with Keesha whenever he could and being present for her doctor visits, school meetings, etc.
When it comes to his little munchkin, Sharad is the pampering father, while Keerti is the disciplinarian mother. And the doting dad comes to Keesha’s rescue with ‘jaane do na yaar, let her be,’ whenever the little one gets into trouble with her mother.
Like almost every child, Keesha too hankers for a sibling, but Sharad wards her off with the excuse that it is very expensive to raise another baby. Sharad shares, “I am 44 now and it's very difficult to raise a child at this age. When we tell her that she will have to share everything with her sibling she doesn’t persist.” (laughs)
As a new-age dad, Sharad acknowledges Keesha’s individuality. “Recognising her as a person with a mind of her own is very important. I respect her choices. I will protect her but not guard her. And I will guide her whenever she seeks guidance from me,” he shares.
Keesha has been the sunshine girl in Sharad’s life. Sharad, who had anger management issues, was happily surprised at how his anger had subsided. Even professionally things started looking up for him after the 'lucky charm' came into his life. “Girte hain shehsawaar hi maidan-e-jung mein who tifl kya girega jo ghutno ke bal chale (Only a fighter falls while fighting in the battlefield; it is not a child who walks on his knees) proclaims Sharad who wants Keesha to find her own path, and if she falls, to learn from her mistakes.
Like father like daughter, some would say as their health and food preferences are the same. “Both of us are morning people,” the actor adds. But Sharad wants Keesha to inherit two of his traits: Being honest and hardworking.
In the pre-Covid phase, Sharad would leave for work and Keesha for school in the mornings. By the time he returned home she was fast asleep. But in this painfully long Covid phase, they found pleasure in the time they got to spend together and forged a deep bond. “Recently when I returned from a long outdoor shoot, the excitement I saw in her eyes melted my heart,” Sharad says.
In this lockdown phase, children are hooked on to the different gadgets and Keesha is no exception. But Sharad and his wife have scheduled hours when Keesha is allowed to use the iPad. Sharad entertains her if he is at home by involving her in activities like painting, Zumba, reading and even pillow fights. A book Sharad recommends for all children, not just his own, is Bruno Learns To Share. “One should read the book to children not when they are toddlers but once they start speaking and understanding a few things. 'Sharing is caring' is the most valuable trait you can inculcate in your children in today's times,” the actor adds.
Before signing off, Sharad makes a telling comment that will resonate with all parents. “As a father, it is difficult to see my daughter not attending school, not being able to play with friends and participate in outdoor activities. So, as parents we have to be extra careful in these times to help our child to feel normal.”
