Arshad Warsi: ‘My children will not face pressure like star kids of Shah Rukh Khan or Hrithik Roshan’

Bollywood actor Arshad Warsi is celebrating his 58th birthday today. Over the years, he has established a strong reputation in the film industry, delivering memorable performances across various genres. Although his on-screen journey is well-documented, Arshad’s off-screen life has remained comparatively private. He has, however, occasionally offered glimpses into his relationship with his children, Zeke Warsi and Zene Zoe Warsi, reflecting a candid and grounded approach to parenting. In interviews, the actor has mentioned that he doesn’t want to pressure them into following in his footsteps in the film industry; instead, he encourages them to discover their own passions and interests. Arshad Warsi’s 21-year-old son, Zeke Warsi, has already taken his first steps in the industry, working as an assistant director with filmmakers like Siddharth Anand and Raju Hirani. Meanwhile, his 18-year-old daughter, Zene Zoe Warsi, is still completing her education but shares a similar passion for cinema. In an earlier chat with Times of India, Arshad Warsi opened up about his children’s aspirations to join the film industry and the challenges that come with it. He revealed that both his son and daughter are keen on acting, but acknowledged the uncertainty of the profession. “Yes, both my son and daughter want to act. My son is currently assisting Siddharth Anand and has assisted Raju Hirani. Of course, I’m scared — it is a tough job today. Acting is not an easy profession anymore as the success rate is so low. Out of 150 crore, a handful become actors,” he admitted. A post shared by Varinder Chawla (@varindertchawla) Arshad feels that success in Bollywood still primarily depends on personal effort and good fortune, despite the widespread notion that connections open all doors. “Nobody can help anybody here — you have to make your own way. I can’t make a call to a director and ask them to invest hundreds of crores in my kids. Koi mere bete pe satta kyun lagayega (Why would anyone bet on my kid)? Even a casual call to a filmmaker to meet my kids means to expect them to take them in their project, which I will not do. Why would anybody do that? Why would filmmakers bet on my kids if I ask them to do so? Why should I recommend my kids to anyone?,” shared the actor. He shared that many talented individuals fail due to lack of luck, which worries him as a parent, saying he hopes his children have enough of it to sustain themselves. A post shared by SCREEN (@ieentertainment) Addressing the pressure of his own success, Arshad noted that while he has built his career from scratch, he isn’t so overwhelmingly successful that his children would feel overshadowed, calling it both a “good and bad” situation. He added, “Star kids of people like Shah Rukh Khan or Hrithik Roshan have a different kind of pressure — they have to be bigger. My kids don’t have that. They just need to be good actors.” Arshad Warsi also opened up about parenting differences with his wife, Maria Goretti, especially when it comes to how much privilege their children should have. He revealed that Maria believes their kids, Zeke and Zene, should earn everything on their own—even something as simple as flying first class—while he sometimes takes a more lenient view. A post shared by Arshad Warsi (@arshad_warsi) A post shared by Arshad Warsi (@arshad_warsi) Sharing an example, Arshad said, “Maria and I fight a lot about what our kids should get and what they deserve. For example, whenever we are travelling, I tell her that I am booking first-class tickets for them as well, and she’ll say, ‘Why? Do they deserve to be in first class?’ She’s right, and they should earn all of it; they need to learn the value of money. I listen to her, and I agree with it, but then I ask her, ‘What will they learn in this 6-hour flight if they are living in a bungalow and driving around in a Mercedes?’ If you wish to teach them, then everything else needs to be taken away as well.” Arshad Warsi’s major upcoming films include Welcome to the Jungle and Dhamaal 4. He is also part of King, starring Shah Rukh Khan On the digital front, he is set to return with the much-awaited Asur Season 3. Click here to follow Screen Digital on YouTube and stay updated with the latest from the world of cinema.