The one treat that Hrithik's little son looked forward to on his second birthday recently was …chocolate cake! Little Hrehaan isn't allowed that bit of culinary indulgence. Says the protective papa, "He can have all kinds of cake…except chocolate. I feel his body doesn't need it for the first few years. Actually, you don't need chocolate at all at any stage of your life. It just displaces your hunger for proper food. That really bothers me. The moment a child has a chocolate, he grows addicted. I allow Hrehaan to have all kinds of cakes. But not chocolate. As it is, from the time he has a life of his own with his friends, he'll have all the access to chocolate. Believe me I know."So is Hrithik a strict dad? "Only as far as Hrehaan's diet is concerned. As a child, I ate the wrong kind of food. In my later years, I really had to clean myself up. It was really tough, and I don't want Hrehaan to go through it. So, I'm conditioning him to do the right thing from the start."
Chocolaty indulgence apart, Hrehaan's second birthday was big fun for the birthday boy and his father. "We had a nice little party in one of the clubs in Juhu. Sussanne organized everything to the last detail. All of Hrehaan's friends were there. We did the usual fun things, like a magic show and an air castle for them to jump around, there was a mini-train and lots and lots of balloons. But Hrehaan was most excited about the chocolate cake." Can't blame the little fellow.
Hrehaan has something else to look forward to. He has a little sister/brother coming up in the first week of May. Says Hrithik, "I'm really looking forward it. Fatherhood will be equally beautiful the second time around. It cannot be any other way."
- Subhash K. Jha
