Bollywood actor Sidharth Malhotra is mourning the loss of his father, Sunil Malhotra, who passed away in New Delhi on February 14 after a prolonged illness. A former Merchant Navy captain, Sunil Malhotra, had been battling health issues for some time. The actor shared a heartfelt post on social media, calling his father “a man of rare honesty, integrity and culture.” But long before his father’s passing, the actor had opened up about his health struggles.
When Sidharth opened up about his father’s illness
Last year, Sidharth had spoken openly about his father’s declining health and the toll it took on the family — particularly on his mother, who had been his primary caregiver. Speaking to Lilly Singh, he said, “My father’s not been healthy for a while, and me being maybe scared or angry about that at times, tend to be a little more harsh on my mother because she’s the one who’s taking care of the meds.”
He recalled a morning in Delhi when his mother began sharing memories from 20 years ago. “She suddenly… we got up one morning and just having coffee and tea in Delhi and she started speaking about 20 years back… what she had to deal with when we were much younger or when I wasn’t there or when I was trying to make my own life.”
‘She made so many sacrifices I wasn’t aware of…’
Sidharth also admitted that he hadn’t always understood the extent of his mother’s strength. “She would hide that information from us as to you know what my father’s going through and I felt slightly ashamed of the fact that I didn’t really give her that credit for the years building up to my father’s health,” he said.
He added, “I have never really spoken about that and it’s not that a secret, it’s just today after so many years, I realised that during that period, my mother had made so many sacrifices that I wasn’t aware of, and I had to deal with her with far more sensitivity and love and, yeah, hopefully now I make up for it.”
‘Papa, your integrity is my inheritance…’
Last night, Sidharth paid tribute to his late father with a heartfelt note, writing, “He was a man of rare honesty, integrity and culture. He lived by values that never bent. Discipline without harshness. Strength without ego. Positivity, even when life tested him beyond measure.”
Reflecting on his father’s resilience, the actor added, “From commanding the seas as a Merchant Navy Captain to facing illness with quiet courage, he never compromised, never lost his grace. Even when the stroke confined him to a wheelchair, his spirit stood tall. Papa, your integrity is my inheritance. Your strength guides me every day. Your positivity still holds this family together. You left us peacefully in your sleep, but the space you leave behind is immeasurable. I am who I am because of you. And I will carry your name, your values and your light forward always. Love you Dad.”
Sidharth’s words about his father’s integrity, his mother’s quiet strength, and his own journey into fatherhood reveal a deeply personal side to the actor. For him, the values passed down by his parents continue to define the man and artist he is today.
