Bhaskor Banerjee to Phil Dunphy: Onscreen Dads Who Showed Us What Fatherhood Means

Fathers in our films and series have made us cry, laugh and at times roll our eyes at their choices. But beneath all the imperfections, these on-screen dads showed us that you don’t need to be perfect to be a hero. Sometimes, just being there and offering love and support is enough. This Father’s Day, we look back at some memorable father figures who have left a lasting mark on us.

Shekhar Subramanium just wanted to make his teenage son Prateek like and respect him more. And that came at the cost of his life. A game designer by profession, he created a motion-sensor video game featuring an unbeatable villain named Ra One to impress his son, who prefers villains over heroes. However, Ra One uses artificial intelligence and escapes the virtual world. After entering the real world. He kills Sekhar and his associates and is on his way to kill Prateek. However, in the absence of his father, G. One, a hero created by Shekhar who looks exactly like him, protects him.

Bhaskor Banerjee was far from the textbook-perfect dad, but the character was an accurate portrayal of an old father who wants to be in sync with his daughter, Piku. For daughters, especially the elder ones who have inherited their father’s qualities, such as their rage and anger, would probably roll their eyes watching his eccentric behaviour. But deep down, we all know that beneath all the stubbornness was a father who advocated for her daughter to live life on her terms. Bhaskor and Piku had a layered and chaotic father-daughter dynamics, but he sure challenged traditional roles and gave assurance to his daughters that their father would always be there for them. Even if he is getting on your nerves.

A father can go great lengths to be near his child. In Chachi 420, Haasan went the extra mile, and walked even further and dressed up as an elderly woman to become his daughter’s nanny. Beneath the makeup, costume, and comedy is a father desperately trying to be with his daughter after a rough divorce.

From a college flirt to a doting single father carrying the pain of a lost love in his heart, Shah Rukh Khan’s character in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai had quite the arc. After losing his wife Tina (Rani Mukherji), Rahul (SRK) raises his daughter Anjali. However, Tina wrote eight letters to Anjali before passing away, and on her 8th birthday, the 8th letter reveals all about Rahul’s college best friend, Anjali (Kajol). The little girl then sets out on a mission to reunite Rahul and Anjali and help her father find love again. Rahul wasn’t perfect either, but he always showed up. Remember, when he dropped everything and rushed to a summer camp in Shimla just because his daughter caught a cold?

Asian dads don’t condone college failures, let alone flying across continents to help their son get the woman he loves before she is married off to someone else. But Dharmavir Malhotra (Anupam Kher) in Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge was rare. He is more of a best friend than a traditional father. He accepts Raj after he fails college and even encourages him to follow his heart. He was the ultimate wingman dad.

Pressure can burst a pipe, or pressure can make a diamond, said Robert Horry. And Mahavir Phogat knew that his daughters were no less than diamonds. The former wrestler was harsh, unrelenting and even cold and mean at times, but always believed in his daughter’s potential and saw greatness in them even when they hadn’t realised it. His love wasn’t tender, but it empowered his girls.

Moving on from the tough love dad, here comes the sweetest dad ever. In both films, Tripathi’s characters were his daughters’ biggest cheerleaders. Bareilly Ki Barfi showed him as a small-town dad who doesn’t shy away from sharing a cigarette with his daughter. He is progressive and understanding of his daughter Bitti’s free-spirited nature.

In Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl, Tripathi played Anup Saxena, who was his daughter’s backbone. While everyone questions her dreams of becoming a pilot and entering a male-dominated field, Anup empowers and encourages Gunjan.

Phil Dunphy, the goofy real estate agent, tried too hard to be cool. At times, it worked, and at times, it backfired. He might pull out a magic trick up his sleeve, but don’t get fooled by his harmless and over-enthusiastic demeanour. But he has the strength to chase down a creepy ex-boyfriend if needed. With Luke he is like a buddy. With Alex, Phil tries to be by her side as she steps out of her comfort zone. And with Hailey, his firstborn, Phil is a fiercely protective and encouraging father. Even when she is making questionable life choices. And when he said, ‘That’s my little girl. I need her to know that no guy on earth is good enough for her!’, we got a bit emotional.

We don’t think a zombie outbreak will happen anytime soon, but if it does, and if you have a dad like Seok-woo, you know you don’t need to worry. Gong Yoo plays the character of Seok-woo, a workaholic and divorced father. He finds it difficult to spend time with his daughter, always due to his hectic work. Fulfilling her wish to spend the birthday with her mother, Seok-woo plans to take his daughter to Busan. However, a zombie outbreak spreads as they board the train. Seok-woo is accompanied by his fellow passengers Sang-hwa, his pregnant wife Seong-kyeong, Yon-suk, Yong-guk and Jin-hee as they try to come out of it alive. After a long fight with the zombies, Seok-woo is bitten by one while trying to save his daughter and another survivor. Realising he is about to turn into a zombie, he locks them in the train’s last compartment and decides to throw himself off the moving train. He sacrifices himself to save his little girl. He jumps off with tears in his eyes and a subtle smile, knowing that his daughter will be safe.