Geeta Basra praises Virat Kohli for raising awareness about paternity leave: ‘Parenting is collaborative work’

Actor Geeta Basra has praised Indian cricketer Virat Kohli for raising awareness about the concept of paternity leave in India. Virat, who is married to actor Anushka Sharma, took paternity leave in 2020 and missed Test matches for the birth of their daughter Vamika. Geeta is married to Virat’s former teammate, cricketer Harbhajan Singh. The couple has two children- daughter Hinaya and son Jovan. Geeta made these comments in a conversation about parenting recently. Also read: Virat Kohli gets Geeta Basra’s praise for keeping Anushka Sharma close during 100th Test ceremony: ‘Never seen that’

Virat took paternity leave when he was the captain of the Indian cricket team. While some fans criticised him for putting his family ahead of national duty, most people applauded him for taking off time to be there for his wife.

While talking about being raised by a working mother, Geeta told Times of India, “A working mom raised my two siblings and me. I want to be like that. Raising a child is as much a responsibility of a father as it is of a mother. In the UK (Geeta was born and raised there), paternity leave is a common thing. In India, many are not even aware that such a thing exists. It’s great that Virat Kohli shed light on this issue. That awareness has to be there.”

The actor further spoke about how parenting is collaborative, she spoke of husband Harbhajan’s parenting skills. “Parenting is collaborative work. Bhajji is changing our son’s diaper as we speak. He is a hands-on dad, but I have seen men who aren’t as involved in their children’s upbringing as if it isn’t their responsibility and that’s wrong,” she added.

Geeta has, in the past too, praised Virat. Last month, the cricketer had wife Anushka with him on the field during his felicitation ceremony for his 100th Test match. Speaking to Bollywood Life then, Geeta had said, “It’s so great the way she is there with him through it all. I think it’s the first time I saw pictures where on the 100th Test match, there’s a wife standing next to him to receive the award. I think it’s fabulous. He (Virat) is changing standards, he is changing rules, because for him that’s his family, his wife is his family.”

Geeta made her debut in Bollywood with the 2006 film Dil Diya Hai and found success with the 2007 Emraan Hashmi-starrer The Train. She was last seen on screen in the 2016 Punjabi film Lock.