Sudhanshu Pandey’s take on modern parenting sparks debate on emotional presence
Sudhanshu Pandey, known for playing Vanraj Shah on the popular TV show Anupamaa, recently shared his thoughts on modern parenting. He spoke candidly during a conversation on Dadsense, a podcast hosted by Subhasis Mishra that focuses on fatherhood, emotional presence and the everyday realities of raising children in a fast-changing world.
Sudhanshu did not soften his words when he spoke about whatever he saw happening around him. He described a pattern he notices in his own building, saying, “If there are 100 kids, I would see 95 kids with the maids and the servants.”
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What unsettles him most is the instinctive, emotional shift that follows. “There is a child hugging the maids. If they are like getting scared or something, they will go and hug the maid,” he said. To him, the message is obvious: that is who the child believes is available.
He called it “strange that the parents don’t realise this.”
“You are missing out, your child is missing out and you are just letting it go,” the actor said and added that both sides lose something essential.
Sudhanshu discusses lack of presence in parenting
The actor believes emotional absence nudges kids into confusion far earlier than anyone expects. “Kids lose direction. They tend to lose direction very, very fast in their lives,” he said, describing how children begin looking for connection wherever they can find it. Social media becomes the handiest escape. Attention turns into dependence.
He further said that children start leaning on these platforms “for validation… sometimes emotional support and all of that.” Pandey worries this cycle drags them somewhere they do not know how to climb out of. “You are making them fall into the darkest hole possible from where they might not recover,” he said.
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A warning for parents
He urged parents to take note of what they are giving up. He called the situation “a very dangerous scenario” and “a very sad scenario,” pointing out that emotional presence cannot be outsourced. Time, he suggested, is the only thing that actually counts, and once it slips, it does not circle back.
FAQs:
What concerns did Sudhanshu Pandey raise about parenting?
He warned that many children rely on caretakers for emotional comfort instead of parents.
Why does he believe kids lose direction easily today?
He feels emotional absence pushes them toward confusion and unhealthy escapes.
What role does social media play according to him?
He says kids begin using it for validation and emotional support.
