"What’s the harm in parents being perceived by their kids as enemies?", asks Manoj Bajpayee. The actor has no qualms in admitting that he has often resorted to tough love when it comes to parenting. In a recent interview, the Bhaiyya Ji actor opened up about it being more important for parents to show their children the correct direction as opposed to being their favourite.

Manoj Bajpayee dishes out parenting advice

In a recent interview with RJ Raunac, Manoj Bajpayee got candid about his style of parenting. Though he loves his daughter Ava, a lot, he would rather she see him as her enemy if that saves her from going down the wrong paths. Speaking to parents at large, the actor also asserted how parental figures end up being the villain any which way, deeming the experience as unavoidable.

He said, "I’ll be the villain, but it’s good for him. The child will hate me? It’s fine, it’s good for his life. So we get scared that we'll be villains for them but you’re going to be the villain either way."

Children are not trophies, clarifies Manoj Bajpayee

The conversation also saw Manoj elaborate on the changed dynamics of the urban family. While joint families tend to harbour multiple layers of discipline, nuclear families, as per the actor, end up wanting to shield their children from the ills of the world - something they have to face at some point or the other. Bajpayee hence, believes that children mustn't be treated as priceless 'trophies'. 

He said, "We’ve moved away from joint families to nuclear families. We live in cities, and we start perceiving our children as our trophies. We forget that the same child has to face the world, and that we need to guide them, teach them, give them the right tools for growth."