Riaan is very protective of Rahyl: Riteish Deshmukh

Actor Riteish Deshmukh talks about his children Riaan and Rahyl, being an involved parent and how Genelia is the glue that holds the family together.

Actor Riteish Deshmukh and Genelia Deshmukh welcomed their second son, Rahyl, in June this year. Their first child, Riaan, who was born in 2014, is very protective of his younger brother, reveals Riteish.

Actor Riteish Deshmukh with his son Riaan and wife, Genelia Deshmukh. (Yogen Shah)

“Riaan absolutely dotes on him. It is good to see that kind of bonding. Sometimes, when I look at them, it makes me wonder if I was like that as a kid?” he says.

Talking about being a father the second time around, Riteish says that though it was a lot easier, it wasn’t all fun and games. “I think I was better equipped the second time around. You think it’s the second child so you know everything. But you also have the first child to take care of so it’s a new experience managing two kids,” he says.

read more

Riteish Deshmukh won’t join politics anytime soon. Here’s why

Riteish has struggled. He is a self-made man and I am proud of him: Genelia

While Riteish has been making it a priority to spend more time with family, it is not always possible because of work commitments. Riteish says, “Every actor on the set has come to realise that you need to set aside a certain number of hours for family. I have blocked some Sundays but invariably, some days I am expected to work. But I have decided to make more time for family because, at the end of the day, I am the one who is losing out. With kids around, you just learn new things every day. Parenting changes every generation. I don’t know if fathers then were as involved as fathers today. But right now, Genelia is the mother and father, both.”

In fact, not just for the kids, but Riteish says that he, too, heavily relies on her for almost everything. “She is actually my stylist. She knows fashion much better. She also knows my preferences, what I like to wear in terms of fabrics, accessories, everything. So her opinion matters the most,” says the actor.

Follow@htshowbiz