Actor Sidharth Malhotra has spoken candidly about the loss of his father earlier this year, describing how grief and new parenthood have reshaped his outlook on life. Appearing alongside wife and actress Kiara Advani on Koffee With Karan, Sidharth recalled the years spent caring for his father through a prolonged illness — and how those memories now echo in everyday moments with his young daughter.

A Father's Illness and a Son's Vigil

Sidharth revealed that his father had been diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson's disease, a condition that gradually worsened over the years. 'We were kind of prepared. I think we went through a process with him. His ailment and condition in particular was getting little worse year by year,' he said.

The actor, who credits his father for his love of physical fitness and outdoor activity — a trait he traces to his father's background in the merchant navy — described accompanying him to their building's swimming pool for hydrotherapy. 'He was diagnosed with early Parkinson's and he's been a very fit guy all through his life. I was in the merchant navy so I get a lot of my outdoor activity from my father and that's what I used to love taking him to the pool,' Sidharth said.

When the Roles Reversed

Sidharth described how, in his father's final years, their relationship underwent a quiet but profound transformation. 'The last four or five years it was almost like you know my dad was like my first child. Like you had started parenting him,' he said. The experience, he noted, gave him an unexpected grounding in what it means to be a caregiver — lessons that now resonate as he raises his daughter Saraayah, born in July 2025.

'Now when I look back and I go and do all these interesting things with Saraya in our building, in our home, it reminds me that I used to take my dad in a very similar way swimming in our building because it was hydrotherapies what he needed for his condition,' he said. 'Now it's surreal when I do the same thing with Saraya. It almost feels like okay I have done this before and we just lost him this year.'

His Mother's Strength

Sidharth also paid tribute to his mother, who spent more than 50 years with his father. 'It was obviously my mother who's been with him for 50 plus years who has had it much worse but she's a very strong woman,' he said. 'I think she was there like a rock. The only blessing is that all of us were together,' he added.

Parenthood, Loss and Shifting Priorities

Sidharth, who lost his father in February 2026, said the convergence of grief and new parenthood has fundamentally altered what he values. 'It changes the priorities in my life. Of course I am very ambitious but what I value more has changed,' he said. He added that the experience has made him acutely aware of the fleeting window when multiple generations can share the same space. 'I recently went through it and I feel like it also reminds you that there's a very short part of your life where you have your kids and your parents in the same room,' he said.

He also told Kiara: 'We have to value this phase of life where our kids are.' The couple, who married in February 2023 after collaborating on the film Shershaah, announced in October 2026 that they are expecting their second child. The announcement was made with a picture featuring Saraayah's hand alongside a tiny baby sock, captioned: 'Blessed once again with the greatest gift of all. Our hearts are so full of love and gratitude.'