When Ajay Devgn sauntered home one evening with an offer he’d received for his son, the 14-year-old was thrilled beyond words. Soon, father and son were dubbing Hindi dialogues for the latest edition of Jackie Chan’s Karate Kid: Legends. This was one of the rare instances when a celebrated father followed his son into a film. “Once Yug was on board, I didn’t even have to think,” grinned Ajay, who’d never before dubbed for a Hollywood film. So, it was a first for him too. Karate Kid: Legends is the sixth in the martial arts franchise, apart from the TV series Cobra Kai, which was a sequel to the feature films.

With our own Singham sitting within patting distance at the trailer launch, it was quite indescribable watching Jackie Chan speak Hindi in Ajay’s voice. Devgn is such a perfect fit for the Hong Kong-born martial arts legend.

It was an afternoon when the actor who’s patented the silent, inscrutable, no-smile image, had every parental emotion practically gurgling out of him. As he himself later said, when the photographers asked Yug to stay back on stage, it was an unforgettable moment for Ajay as he stepped off and watched his teenage son pose for the media. For Yug too, it was a defining moment, one where he felt “like a celebrity, like him,” he said, pointing to his dad.

The cameras were first trained on a slim young Yug when he’d gone up on stage to pet Azaad, the black horse that was the star of the film, at a trailer launch in January. Ajay had shown Yug how to stroke the animal gently and confidently without alarming it.
For Yug, his dad by his side makes everything possible.

A football fan, Yug also has a business streak in him. Ajay is a surprised dad when Yug dabbles in stocks and shares with a natural understanding of the market. He was equally amazed when Yug in all his enthusiasm told Ajay that after 18, he’d want his parents to live with him in his house. Well, to pull that off, Yug’s first paycheck has just rolled in. PS: He handed that over to his hero, his dad.

It was a week during which the spotlight was on two sets of parent-offspring with two vastly different stories.

Neetu Singh Kapoor has always harboured the idea that her daughter Riddhima was born for the camera. “She’s such a good dancer, such a good mimic. She’ll make a terrific actress,” she’d wistfully say off-the-record. But she and Riddhima knew that Rishi was an old-fashioned Kapoor male. To keep her dad appeased, Riddhima did what was expected of a dutiful Kapoor girl and got married just the way Rishi wanted her to.

Meanwhile, Rishi did what traditional Kapoor men did and wholeheartedly supported son Ranbir’s entry into the industry. He even frowned at Ranbir frittering his time studying in New York or in assisting Bhansali, and would say with much irritation, “He’s meant to be an actor. Get going with it.” Different rules for different genders.

Peace prevailed in the Pali Hill bungalow with Neetu avoiding a family battle. But 44 years after the Rishi-Neetu marriage (she too had hung up her boots as a Kapoor wife was expected to) and 44 years after the birth of their first child Riddhima, the residents of Krishna Raj bungalow have reprogrammed their minds.

Rishi Kapoor’s unfortunate and early demise in 2020 changed the dynamics. When Riddhima went aboard family friend Karan Johar’s Fabulous Lives vs Bollywood Wives (2024), it was as if she’d spent her whole life prepping for just that moment. Always well turned out with perfectly applied makeup every time she stepped out of the house, the calorie-counting Riddhima was ready for the cameras.

Neetu likes her leisurely mornings. But, like Ajay Devgn, she too said an enthusiastic “yes” to a Hindi feature film co-starring Kapil Sharma because Riddhima had been signed for it. Last month was a dream moment for mom and daughter as they shot together in Himachal Pradesh.

Some dreams just take a little time to come true.