From handwritten notes to drawing cards, Palash Dutta shares how a 70s-born celebrated Father’s Day

Days like Mother’s Day and Father’s Day were practically not celebrated in a grand way until social media came into the picture, and then it became all about sweet and emotional captions, nostalgic photos, and just some extra love dripping from posts on the platforms. But for actor and producer Palash Dutta, such days carried a far more quiet significance that is definitely not rooted in grand gestures. For him it was all about subtle gratitude and deep emotional connection.

Speaking on the occasion of Father’s Day, which will be observed on June 15, he said, “In my personal opinion, I think such days like Father's Day or Mother's Day don't really hold any significance in my life, as I am a kid born in the 1970s without the influx of social media, so during those days our way of showering love on our parents was very subtle and without any pretence.” He added that the era was marked by simplicity—hand-drawn cards, thoughtful little gifts, and emotional expressions that didn’t need an occasion. He said, “We had our own ways of reciprocating our love by handwriting and drawing cards for them and gifting them with something they loved, but we never really celebrated it per se.”

His father has been living in the United States for almost 25 years now, and though the distance and time created a space, the emotional connection never dimmed. He said, “It wasn't a gesture or any specific day on which I could physically express it to him. But deep inside my heart I always knew that he has been a backbone to our family.”

That strong foundation, according to Palash, comes not just from his father's presence but from the values he lived by. “My father had served in the Indian Navy for over 15 years during his younger days, and the discipline that he has maintained to date at the age of 90 years (in spite of being bedridden due to his illness) still remains intact,” he said. He shared that discipline, willpower, and honesty were not just words for Palash but lessons. He said, “What I take back from him and what I have learned during my growing years is to have the willpower and honesty and to shower love and compassion on everyone around me. What I have learned from him in all these years is to never give up and be resilient.”

And he wants to carry his father’s legacy forward of “being a man of principles by maintaining dignity, integrity, and, most importantly, being self-reliant during trying times.”

And yet, amidst all the strength, there’s a deep, unspoken wish his father always had. “My father always wanted me to get married and have kids, and that was his biggest worry about me. If I would have been married, he would have been the happiest, but alas, I don't see that happening soon, which will keep haunting me and make me feel guilty throughout my life,” Palash concluded.