Books corner: Daddy by Tuhin A. Sinha

A bible for men on the verge of fatherhood

• Ambica Gulati 

When I read What To Tell Her @13 some months back, the first thing that had crossed my mind was that why is there not a book on him. Doesn’t the male gender need emotional sensitization? And then I got Tuhin A. Sinha’s Daddy. This was a pleasant surprise as a book written by a man for a to-be-born child is not a usual phenomenon. At least all the old generation daddies are constantly trying to put an armour from child raising, making lifestyle shifts and are constantly on the run, that’s the kind of India we have been seeing.

Reading the book, I got more surprises. It’s a sensitive portrayal of a man’s journey to becoming a father. Its buckets full of emotion and understanding needed for a man. In an era where there is much hue and cry about insensitive men and their attitudes, Sinha’s book is a welcome change.

The book is about The Birth of a Father and not a child. It’s a step-by-step guide on how to handle yourself from the moment you hear you are going to become a father. This is for the new age dad who is going to raise a new age kid. There’s a lot of emphasis on being tech savvy, studying, researching, being with your wife, handling over inquisitive people, including the nosy aunties and uncles. What I liked is the simple style, the things to remember at the end of every chapter and the fact that you need to accept that there are going to be life-changing incidents and you need an attitude shift to face this. It’s something you need on your shelf and perhaps pass on to all your friends who are going to become fathers.

What’s even more interesting is that Tuhin A. Sinha is a screenwriter, a political columnist and has experimented with different genres of writing. He started writing in 2006 and his first book an unconventional romance, That Thing Called Love. He has written five novels.

In email conversation Tuhin shares a lot more about what it means to be an author. Excerpts:

Journeys to writing have always been milestones. Which milestone in your life turned you into an author?

​In our generation, we didn't grow up intending to become author as it seemed a rather farfetched profession to make a living out of. So, I would much rather believe I am an author by default and by destiny. Of course, I always had a natural flair for writing. ​

Daddy is an unusual book for a man to pen. Who motivated you to write this?

​Unusual men write unusual books. On a more serious note, it was high time that such a book was brought out in India. In the last few decades, gender equations have changed, at least in urban India. A dad is as often as involved with the baby's regular chores as a mom conventionally used to be three decades ago. My book, Daddy celebrates modern day fatherhood while being a ready reckoner for stuff you must be prepared for if you are a hands-on Dad.​ It’s a book any man who has been a father or is heading towards being one, would relate with very easily.

People and children perceive daddies as the cold, hard one. Do you think this book will help change the perception of being a father for an Indian male specifically?

​That perception has already changed considerably. My book will perhaps end that perception forever. ​

Which books and authors do you like?

​Many. I enjoy reading ​ Khaled Hosseini, Chitra Divakaruni Banerjee, Manju Kapur, Milan Kundera among others.

What are your other interests besides reading and writing?

​I follow cricket and politics closely; besides I enjoy travelling and watching movies.​

What does the future hold?

Touchwood, I've had the most enviable run as an author, experimenting with each new book of mine and not restricting myself to the stereotypes many authors get trapped into.

My next book releases in April, 2015 and that's a quasi-sequel to my first book, That Thing Called Love.​

Book details

Publisher: Harlequin India

Price: Rs 250

Pages: 194