Celebrating Fatherhood: Leading ad honchos highlight bonds and legacies

Father’s Day is an exceptional occasion that serves as a heartfelt tribute to the significant role fathers play in shaping our lives. It is a time to honour and celebrate the unwavering love, support, and guidance fathers provide throughout our life journey. On this special occasion, Adgully reached out to leaders of the industry to delve into their profound relationships with their own fathers, share some cherished memories, and also the unique bonds they share with their children. This exploration not only unravels heartwarming tales of love and connection, but also highlights the passing down of legacies from one generation to another.

Bond with their fathers

Ashish Bhasin, Founder of The Bhasin Consulting Group, shared how he used to spend hours with his father, listening to stories of his ancestors and the area he came from. He said, “The most recent and refreshing memory was when I took my children to the ‘Sound of Music’ show that recently came up in Mumbai. I remembered that more than 50 years ago, my father had taken me as a child to watch the ‘Sound of Music’ movie at Regal. I had a very close bond with my father.”

Sandeep Goyal, MD, Rediffusion, shared his fondest memory with his father, saying, “I was very young, maybe 3-4 years old. My dad used to have a Rajdoot motorbike. Every morning before leaving for work, he would take me on a joyride on the bike. Every day. Just him and me. I would feel like a prince. It is my fondest memory of him.”

As most patriarchs in a family business want their children to join their family business, ProfitWheel Co-Founder Vivek Bhargava’s father, too, encouraged him to become an entrepreneur. Sharing what his father said to him, Bhargava said, “Chalti Gadi mein toh koi bhi baith sakta hai, tum apna kuch kar ke dikhao”. Bhargava recalls, “I started Communicate 2 (now iProspect) in 1997, and we struggled for almost a decade. My father faced a lot of criticism for my struggles, and everyone told him that he should let Vivek join the family business. Selling my company to Dentsu sort of vindicated him.”

He further shared (with tears in his eyes), “After the money had hit the bank, we were sitting together, the sun was setting, and he told me, ‘Beta tum ne meri shyaam rangeen kardi’. He passed away the next year, but this memory of him will always be my fondest memory with him.”

Sam Balsara, Chairman, Madison World, remembers playing with his father in bed after returning from school in the afternoons. “Remember, this goes back 68 years. It is my fondest memory with him,” he added.

Bond with their children

Speaking about his bond with his children, Sandeep Goyal said, “We are pals. Comrades in arms – both at home and at work.”

On the bond that he shares with his daughter, Vivek Bhargava said, “I believe my father was perfect, He was my friend, philosopher and guide. I have tried to create a similar bond with my daughter. We learn things together, things like mentalism, stand up comedy, Harvard courses, etc. We both love the finer things in life. The key to a great relationship with your children is respecting them and giving them total freedom, after all it is their life.”

Sam Balsara added here, “I believe I enjoy a strong bond with both my daughters, and in many ways they are similar to me and like to do the same things. I think the relationship is defined by trust and similar objectives of what we want from life – lead an active, purposeful work life, sprinkled with fun and enjoyment.”

Ashish Bhasin said, “It is very close, just like the bond that I had shared with my father, I would like to replicate the same with my son as well.”

Chip off the old block

Bhasin pointed out that children get influenced by their parents. “Every family has a value system. Both my son and daughter share the same value system that I do, which I have inherited from my father. One thing that I have always told them is ‘devotion to duty determines your destiny’, so whatever is your duty at that point of time, you have to be completely devoted to that. I find that both my children do carry a value system, that is my motive and both my children live up to that.”

“My daughter and I work very closely at Rediffusion,” said Sandeep Goyal, adding, “She’s learning the business very quickly. I see the same traits that made me successful in her too: passion to be the best, innovative and inventive, good client handling skills. And she has genes from my father too: very orderly, very precise and very meticulous.”

Vivek Bhargava calls his daughter to be “totally a chip off the old block”. He added, “She has 500k followers on Instagram - she loves the limelight as much as me, she has started her own company – influencive.io, so already an entrepreneur at 20.”

“I believe all 3 of us are focused on whatever we do and want to do it well,” said Sam Balsara proudly of his children. “I believe they also have a heightened sense of wanting to do the right thing,” he concluded.