After months of juggling back-to-back shoots, film commitments and the demanding preparation for an Ironman Triathlon, Saiyami Kher recently took some much-needed time off to travel to Queensland, Australia, with her father, Adwait Kher.
What made this trip particularly special was that it was not just another holiday but an emotional journey for the actor, who got to revisit her love for sports, adventure and the outdoors with the very person who introduced her to it all.
Saiyami shared a heartfelt note about parenting, the sacrifices parents make and how, over the years, the roles slowly reverse as children grow up and begin looking after their parents. The actor revealed that travelling to Australia with her father had always been on her wishlist, especially because it is a country where sports and adventure are such an integral part of its culture. The father-daughter duo spent two weeks in Queensland, making the most of their time together. They went diving at the Great Barrier Reef, visited the Gabba, tried surfing, snorkelled at the shipwreck in Tangalooma, and also experienced a special milestone when Saiyami ran a marathon with her father cheering her on at the finish line.
Sharing the emotional reason behind the trip, Saiyami said, “I’ve always felt that parenting is one of the most thankless jobs in the world. You spend your life sacrificing your sleep, your comforts, your joys, just to make sure your child gets the best of everything. I’ve watched my parents do for as long as I can remember. Even today, after all these years, the worrying hasn’t stopped, the sacrifices haven’t stopped. But somewhere along the way, the child started becoming the parent.”
She further added, “My father has shaped my love for sport, adventure and the outdoors. He taught me to swim when I was barely two or three. Every time I am trekking, diving, running a race, or picking up a cricket bat or badminton racquet, there’s a little bit of him in it. And that’s why I always wanted to go to Australia with him. A country I can never seem to get enough of, where sport and adventure is its heart and soul. I couldn’t think of a better way to spend time with him than doing all the things he made me fall in love with.”
Saiyami also spoke about how these experiences would remain among her most treasured memories. She wrote, “These are the memories I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life, because I got to experience these beautiful experiences with the man who first taught me to be curious about the world and brave enough to explore it.”
Concluding her note on an emotional note, the actor expressed her wish to give her parents some of the happiness they have spent their lives giving her. She shared, “We can never give back to our parents for everything they’ve done for us. But I hope I can take them to the prettiest places on this planet, watch sunrises and sunsets with them and give them a few moments where they don’t have to worry about anything at all. And I wish, I can give them a fraction of the happiness they’ve spent their lives giving me.”