Actress Richa Chadha has opened up about husband Ali Fazal’s approach to fatherhood, describing him as deeply involved in the care of their daughter. While Richa appreciates his attention to their child, she admitted that his focus on small details can sometimes become irritating.
In an interview with Moviefied, the Heeramandi actor spoke about Ali’s involvement in their daughter’s daily routine and jokingly described his approach as a little too attentive at times.
Richa Chadha on Ali Fazal’s Parenting Style
Richa said Ali is particularly focused on their daughter’s meals and routine, even when he is away from home.
“He is obsessed with his daughter. Too much; it irritates me. Now he’s sitting in Srinagar, and he’s asking if I put pumpkin in the khichdi. I’m like, leave, you have to micromanage too much?”
She added that Ali’s involvement is noticeable despite the fact that she and a nanny are both at home caring for their daughter.
“He is a little extra. There is a nanny, there is me, we are here taking care of her. It’s slightly irritating,”
Richa’s comments offer a candid glimpse into the everyday dynamics of parenting and the different ways partners can approach childcare.
Why Some New Fathers Become Highly Involved
Dr Rimpa Sarkar, PhD, of Sentier Wellness, Mumbai, explained that increased involvement can occur among new fathers as they adjust to the responsibilities of parenthood.
“Some new fathers become extremely involved because becoming a parent can bring a strong sense of responsibility, protectiveness and uncertainty,”
According to Dr Rimpa, closely following small details of a baby’s routine can sometimes give a parent “a sense of control and reassurance” while they become familiar with the demands of childcare.
She also said that heightened involvement can be an expression of affection and a way for fathers to establish their role in caring for a young child.
“For some fathers, being highly involved is also a way of expressing love and finding their role in a stage where they may not be doing as much of the physical caregiving. It is not necessarily about distrust; sometimes it is simply anxiety and excitement expressed through attention to detail,”
When Attentive Parenting Becomes Over-Involvement
Dr Rimpa distinguished between being an engaged parent and becoming so involved that another caregiver’s independence is affected.
“An attentive parent asks questions, participates, notices changes and shares responsibility. Over-involvement can become controlling when one parent feels their way is the only correct way, repeatedly checks or corrects the other parent, or finds it difficult to trust them with routine decisions,”
She added that the motivation may still come from care and concern, but the effect can be different for the other parent.
“The intention may still be love, but the impact can be that the other parent feels constantly monitored rather than supported,”
What Healthy Co-Parenting Can Look Like
According to Dr Rimpa, healthy co-parenting allows both parents to participate while retaining some independence in how they handle routine decisions.
“Healthy co-parenting involves shared responsibility with room for each parent to use their own judgement. Micromanagement often feels different because there is a pattern of correction rather than collaboration.”
She said couples may want to pay attention if one partner regularly feels the need to explain routine childcare decisions or worries about being criticised for handling something differently.
“If one partner starts feeling they have to justify every decision, seek approval for routine choices or worry about being criticised for doing something differently, that is worth addressing,”
One possible way to reduce such friction, she suggested, is for couples to agree beforehand on which childcare decisions require discussion and where each parent can exercise individual judgment.
“Couples can reduce this by discussing which decisions genuinely need to be shared and where each parent can have autonomy, rather than trying to create one identical parenting style.”
Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal as Parents
Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal welcomed their daughter Zunerya in July 2024. The couple registered their marriage in 2020 and later celebrated their wedding through traditional ceremonies in 2022.
Richa’s latest comments provide a glimpse into the practical side of their life as parents, while the expert perspective highlights how differences in parenting styles can arise as couples adjust to raising a child together.
