Mother’s Day: Single father Sandip Soparrkar talks about doubling as mom and dad

Sandip Soparrkar says that societal norms often tried to pull him down when he adopted Arjun 10 years ago, but he listened to his heart.

Choreographer Sandip Soparrkar was all of 33 when he became a single father to Arjun, who was two years old at that time. A decade later, ask him if a day like Mother’s Day makes him feel more important because he gets to double as mother and father, and Sandip says, “For me, each day is Mother’s Day and Father’s Day — the only special thing about these occasions is that I get extra hugs and kisses, handmade cards/song and dance, dinner at a restaurant of my choice, to thank me for all that I do.”

Sandip Soparrkar with his 12-year-old son Arjun, whom he adopted 10 years ago.

For all these years that Sandip has been a single father, he never felt that he couldn’t fulfil the responsibilities towards his son, whom he adopted in October 2007. “I agree that a mother has a special place in a child’s life, but I feel a man can play both the roles if he decides to. In my case too, there have been times when a mother has been missed, but at the same time, I feel happy to say that I have tried my best to bridge the gap. I’m still a single father,” says Sandip, who got married to model Jesse Randhawa in 2009 [after five years of dating] but they got divorced last year.

Sandip Soparrkar got married to model Jesse Randhawa in 2009 but the two got divorced last year.

I’ve changed diapers, packed tiffin box, shopped, had my share of sleepless nights, changed schedules to suit Arjun’s demands, taken up homework and studies. I’ve done it all .

Talking of chores such as shopping, changing diapers etc, Sandip shares that he mastered quite a few of them and he’s done it all with lot of ease. “I’ve always believed that a woman can do what a man can, so can a man do what a woman can? Yes, I’ve changed diapers, packed tiffin box, shopped, had my share of sleepless nights, changed schedules to suit Arjun’s demands, taken up homework and studies. I’ve done it all .. I’ve done it all and no regrets because to strengthen any relationship, one needs to put aside one’s ego and only think and work from heart. I am proud to say that my baby is born from my heart.”

On whether he faced any challenges while Arjun was growing up, Sandip says societal norms tried to pull him down but he stayed confident. “Right from the start I was told that a mother is more important than a father in a child’s life. With the touch of a woman, a child grows differently—these were the norms of the society but I was of the belief that it is not the man or woman that matters, it is the affection and love that matter the most in bringing up a child. Even today, I’m told that a mother is a mother and father is a father, but when I see my independent child and the way he is growing up, I totally disagree with these views.”

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