Father’s Day 2026: WhatsApp, Reels And Voice Notes Redefine How Indian Fathers Say ‘I Love You’
· Free Press Journal
There was a time when Indian fathers rarely said, "I love you." Their affection appeared in packed lunch boxes, school fees paid on time, repaired bicycles and countless sacrifices that came without explanation. Love existed, but it was often understood rather than spoken.
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Today, that same love is increasingly arriving through WhatsApp messages, reels, voice notes, video calls and old photographs shared online. In a country where generations of fathers were taught to express responsibility more comfortably than emotion, technology is quietly helping rewrite the language of fatherhood.
When Samarth Kulshreshtha moved away from home to study in Manipal, homesickness often arrived unexpectedly. Amid lectures and assignments, comfort came through a familiar screen. "Sometimes, it wasn't even about having a long conversation. Just seeing each other's faces for a few minutes brought comfort and a sense of connection," says the founder and creative director of Samarth Adworks Studio.
Looking back, he believes those moments represented something larger than convenience. "Technology helped me stay connected with my parents when miles separated us. It reminded me that sometimes the most meaningful use of technology is simply helping us stay close to the people we love."
His experience reflects a broader shift taking place across Indian families.
Silent love
For many Indians, growing up meant recognising affection without hearing it spoken aloud. Marketing professional Shreya Johri realised this years after losing her father. As Father's Day approached, she found herself revisiting old WhatsApp chats and rediscovered a Daughter's Day message he had once sent her.
The note spoke about how fortunate he felt to have a daughter like her and ended with a simple wish: "Happy Daughter's Day betu." "Yet in those few words, I suddenly found an expression of love that I had perhaps overlooked when he was alive," she says.
A similar emotional shift unfolded in the life of Grishma Vishal Sharma. Her father rarely expressed emotions openly until her wedding day. "During my vidaai, I saw a completely different side of my father. Tears filled his eyes as he hugged me without being able to conceal his emotions," she recalls.
After her marriage, WhatsApp messages and shared reels became part of a more expressive relationship. For Aditi Chaurasia, technology helped her father move beyond traditional ideas of masculinity. Once emotionally reserved, he now reacts to her posts, creates birthday edits and proudly shares family moments online. "He loves to record me. Each time I upload pictures or reels, he is always amongst the first ones to give me a thumbs-up," she says.
‘Reel’ in the words
If previous generations used actions as expressions of affection, today's fathers are increasingly using digital interactions. Communication professional Sonia Dhyani says her father frequently sends motivational videos, recipes, devotional content and memes.
"Even though these posts are simple forwards, they are in my perspective a way for him to say, 'I was thinking about you,'" she says. Instant video calls have also helped erase the feeling of distance.
Neha, a PR executive with Mrig Sight Media, believes some of the most meaningful interactions with her father happen through WhatsApp messages, shared videos and voice notes. "The most intimate exchanges seem to come from everyday digital moments," she says.
For Ravi Gupta, Designer and Director at Gargee Designers, small gestures have become a new language of affection. "Something as simple as a 'Reached home?' message or a forwarded joke has become its own language of affection," he says. His son, Rohan Gupta, agrees. "My father may not always say 'I'm proud of you' directly, but he'll share a reel, send an old photograph, or check in with a simple message that says everything."
Meaningful conversations
Technology is also creating conversations that previous generations rarely had. According to Tushar Gupta, Director of Operations at Thermocool Home Appliances Ltd, interactions often begin with WhatsApp messages, reels and memes before evolving into discussions about careers, business and life. "If there is anything I need to tell my father, all I need to do is make a video for him, and he will make one for me in return," he says.
Major Manjit Rajain, Global Chairman of Tenon Group, belongs to a generation that viewed responsibility as the strongest expression of love. He jokes that he has "three sons"—Angad, Anuj and Tenon Group.
A recently shared family reel about fathers having only three solutions to every problem sparked an evening of laughter and conversation. "Sometimes a 30-second reel can spark conversations that we may never have had otherwise," he says.
Digital bonds
Long before WhatsApp, technology was already helping families stay connected. Arjun Singh Datta, MD and COO of the International Institute of Culinary Arts (IICA), remembers relying on MSN Messenger, Yahoo Messenger and Skype while studying in the UK. During the COVID-19 pandemic, video calls once again became a lifeline.
Today, technology keeps him connected to his father through photographs, updates and daily conversations. His father, Virender Singh Datta, Founder and Chairman of IICA, recalls mentoring his son from thousands of kilometres away while building the institution in New Delhi. One late-night video call helped Arjun decide whether to contest for University Student Union President, a decision that eventually led to him becoming the first Asian elected president representing more than 30,000 students.
Finally, they are opening up
Experts believe there is a deeper reason behind this shift. Dr Sujit Paul, certified mental health expert and life coach, describes technology as an "emotional icebreaker."
Many Indian fathers, he says, grew up believing vulnerability was a weakness. Messages, reels, voice notes and memes offer a less intimidating way to communicate affection, concern and support. "These regular interactions create trust, comfort and stronger emotional bonds over time," he says.
PR professional Grusha Khanna, daughter of Rajan Khanna, believes digital platforms have fundamentally changed how fathers communicate. "Technology has bridged the gap, providing fathers with creative outlets to express sentiments that words once failed to capture," she says. Whether through a reel, a video call or a shared message, fathers now have a more comfortable space for emotional expression.
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Perhaps that is the real Father's Day story of our times. Technology has not made fathers more loving. Indian fathers have always loved deeply. What it has done is provide a vocabulary for emotions that previous generations often struggled to articulate.
For some, that vocabulary arrives through a reel. For others, it appears through a voice note, a family photograph or a video call. And for Shreya Johri, it remains preserved in a WhatsApp chat she can never bring herself to delete, a reminder that sometimes the words fathers struggle to say in person survive quietly on a screen, waiting to be rediscovered years later.