Clarisse Renaldi, the Queen of Genovia

The Princess Diaries

Played by Julie Andrews, this grandmother is the image of grace and dignity. She might set a lot of stock by poise and elegance, but she is also quite a fun grandma who not only lies to cops to get Mia out of trouble but also mattress-boards with elan. “As a queen I simply cannot condone it. But as a grandma, I say, ‘Right on’,” she says in The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, when Mia stomps on Nicholas’s foot after learning that he was after her throne.

Alm Onji

Heidi

Alm-Uncle, as Heidi’s paternal grandfather is known, has a fearsome reputation in the village and is gruff and strict, but cannot hold out against Heidi’s charm. He takes such good care of Heidi and eventually Clara too. Here is a grandparent who is willing to be guided by the innocence of his granddaughter and change his brusque and hermit-like ways.

Dowager Countess Violet Crawley

Downton Abbey

Oh she is not the most affectionate granny you could ask for, but if you are not at the receiving end of her very sharp wit, you cannot but admire her. And god forbid anyone who messes with her family. This grandma knows how to protect her own.

Granny

The Sylvester & Tweety Mysteries

A granny who is an ace detective! We love how she is overly protective about Tweety. A warm and kind-hearted woman, she can be very stern when needed. She might give “bad puddytat” Sylvester a whack when he tries to eat Tweety but she also trusts him with their safety.

Grandpa Joe

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

This “96-and-half-year-old” man is stubborn and senile but also kind and supportive. And in our minds he will always be defined by the moment when he jumps out of bed and does a little hoppety-skippety dance after hearing that Charlie has won a golden ticket. Inside Willy Wonka’s factory, Grandpa Joe is as excited as the kids. What makes him an all-time favourite is how he gives Charlie his saved-up single silver sixpence to go buy a bar of chocolate and when they don’t find a golden ticket inside, instead of being disappointed, he laughs with Charlie.

Augusta Longbottom

Harry Potter series

We never actually see Neville’s grandmother in the movies, except when Snape appears wearing her clothes during Lupin’s class in Prizoner of Azkaban, but she is mentioned often enough for us to remember her. She might not come across as the most supportive of grandparents, always taunting Neville about not being as brilliant as his father, but those who’ve read the books will remember how much pride she takes when she finds out that Neville has joined Dumbledore’s Army, and how she joins the Battle of Hogwarts to fight beside her grandson.

Vito Corleone

The Godfather

The head of one of the most powerful Mafia families may seem an unlikely candidate for a best grandparent list but the mob boss is also a family man who finds happiness and peace in the partaking of silly activities that the kids of the house engage in. Playing hide-and-seek with grandson Anthony is one of his greatest pleasures.

Grandpa Edwin

Little Miss Sunshine

He isn’t what you would call the ideal grandfather, what with his potty mouth, drug addiction and general unpleasantness but no one can hold out against the charm of Grandpa coaching Olive. Who doesn’t want a grandpa who tells his granddaughter “D’you know what a loser is? A real loser is someone who’s so afraid of not winning, they don’t even try. Now you’re trying, right? Well then you’re not a loser!”

Amarjeet Kapoor

Kapoor and Sons

He is one of the coolest grandpas ever! What’s not to love about this grandad with his potty jokes, penchant for cheating at card games and his love for Mandakini? We love his relationship with his two grandsons and we love how, despite all his jokes and crankiness, he is the one holding the Kapoor family together.

Rupsha Bhadra

What does your grandparent mean to you? Tell t2@abp.in