Dhruv Tara-Samay Sadi Se Pare actor Gulfam Khan Hussain, who has recently joined the cast of Gehna: Zevar Ya Zanjeer on Dangal, believes she learned the importance of balancing from her parents. Speaking on the occasion of National Parents’ Day, which is observed on July 28, she said, “Parents are next to God. They make you who you are, from your looks to your behavioural patterns, and your basic nature is your parents’ gift to you. What we can at least do is give them some of our time.”

“My parents were like chalk and cheese. My father was strict, but he loved to give me a hug every now and then. On the other hand, my mother was not a cuddler, but we could tell her everything. I understood that balancing everything is very important,” she added.

She believes that the pandemic and the consequent lockdowns bridged the gap between parents and their kids. She said, “Since the pandemic, kids are slowly getting aware of the needs of their parents; lots of them had become ignorant of this before, but almost two years of lockdown got them communicating with each other and hearing each other out.”

Gulfam further mentioned that awareness and openness have increased these past few years, adding, “From news articles to movies to social media, all platforms have brought forth messages of how a decrease in the communication gap can bring closeness and confidentiality. To lessen this gap, parents have to become ‘friends’ and hear their children out compassionately. We might not agree on everything, but we can at least agree to disagree.”

What advice do you have for the younger generations? “I’m not wise enough to advise anyone, but I can request that kids today get off their mobile phones and spend some quality time with their parents. Trust me, many times it’s more entertaining and enlightening than random reels and games,” she ended.