‘I have always included my dad’s name with mine…’
Suniel Shetty tells us why he signs his name as Suniel V Shetty on everything and shares memories of his father on Father’s Day today

Upala KBR

Suniel Shetty has always been an extremely committed and devoted son to his parents so when his father Veerappa Shetty passed away in March this year, the star was shattered. A little-known fact is that Suniel has attached his father’s initial V to his name (including Twitter). Today he shares the reason why he does so and how his father continues to be a part of him and inspire him always…

Dad’s always been part of me…
I have always included my dad’s name with mine. He’s always been a part of me and continues to be. Why just Twitter? I have always signed my name as Suniel V Shetty. My signature is that everywhere, and even when I sign cheques too.

Remembering him on Father’s Day…
Today people tell me it’s Father’s Day but it’s not just about remembering him today. I go to sleep remembering him and I wake up remembering him. I miss him every single day and I remember him every moment. He lived with me for 56 years of his life but I have lived with him all my life so my parents have always been everything to me. Not just for me yes, but for me but for also my children my parents have been everything. Athiya and Ahaan were very close to them.

When I wanted to join Bollywood my father told me…
Dad was very clear about one thing – one life to live so give it your best. He never stopped me from opening my fashion outlets when I wanted to as long as I gave time to our core business. He encouraged me for that. If I wasn’t there I would go to the store sometimes just to check that everything was all right. He would walk in and out and saw that the place was kept as per business standards. My father was obsessed about cleanliness, hygiene and customer care so he quietly did that and came. I learned about time management from him. He would tell me there’s nothing to business but time management and man management. Respect your time, respect other people’s time more and respect people and everything would fall into place. Trust. Trust. Trust – that’s all he taught me and that’s all I always followed in my life and helped me in the relationships that I have built today. I believe in people and it works or doesn’t work sometimes but it works most of the time.

One advice that I have always followed of his…
Love your work as it was your own child and it will love you back. That’s exactly how I have treated my job. He was a man of few words and one-liners but the message was simple and yet so profound. As a father if you don’t give enough time to your children, they will not reciprocate the same way. It’s always important that you give your family time. Love. Love. Love. Children reciprocate accordingly – they watch and learn, not listen and learn. These are simple philosophies in life and my relationships have been like that. That’s what my father taught me. He was a very simple man and I believe I am like my father.

I am who I am because of my parents…
Success has never changed me and I thank my parents for that. Every time I came back home and saw my parents they corrected me. All the stardom of the world came down when I would see him in dad’s lungi and kurta and their simple lifestyle. He made sure that we would have one or two meals together as a family and gave us that time in the week when he would take us out. Dad and mom taught me simple family values which I have always followed till now.