Padmashree Kamal Haasan celebrated his 58th birthday

I admire my dad’s creativity: Shruti

    Padmashree Kamal Haasan celebrated his 58th birthday on Wednesday. As the industry flocked to wish him, his daughter Shruti Haasan conveys her wishes to her dear ‘bapu’ through BT...
    I was born in an artistic family, and my parents are great at what they do. They are very encouraging about what we take up and are always open to experimenting. They are not narrow-minded, and I think Akshara and I are very lucky to be born in this family.
    One of my most unforgettable moments with my father is when he gave me the chance to compose music for his Unnaipol Oruvan. It means a lot to me that both he and the director (Chakri Toleti) believed in my music and let me work on the scores. Also, it’s amazing how he is always a part of what I do musically. He listens to my music and is always interested in whatever new I come out with, musically. He recently wrote the Tamil lyrics for Assamese singer Joi Barua. I ran the idea through him and he gladly agreed. The song was recently performed at a conference in Pune. It’s a collaborative effort between musicians, and is about mixing of opposite worlds. The lyrics are partly in Tamil, and dad has written them for us.
    I won my first Filmfare this year, and I was delighted when he gave me the award. It will always be a nostalgic moment for me. As a father, and as an artiste, he had faith that I can shape my own career. It was scary at first, but he was confident. He was always supportive, but never interfered in my choices. I kind of learnt how to let the others know I can take care of myself. It was his birthday yesterday and it was really unfortunate that I couldn’t spend the day with him. I had to work.
WHAT I LIKE ABOUT MY FATHER
• As an actor, I admire his artistic ability and creativity. And, as a father, he lets me be without any interference.

• He leads a healthy lifestyle, and there’s nothing I don’t like about his habits.

• My dad has never said ‘no’ to anything I’ve asked for. Not because he doesn’t have the heart to say no, but because I ask what’s necessary. Despite his busy schedule, he has always spent time with his family. He’s made time for functions and holidays. I was never left wanting for anything.