‘It is a wise father that knows his own child\' Shakespeare\'s words continue to resonate in the modern world where fathers are moving away from being strict, disciplinarian figures to a source of emotional support for their children. \"My father is not just my father! Of course, he is strict at times as far as my studies are concerned, ... but he is also a great friend. He takes me out on weekends, we go bowling, we discuss my personal life, he guides me... and he is a fantastic counsellor!\" said Abhinav Sethi, a 17-year-old college student. Many fathers have started going out of their way to understand their child once the preserve of mothers. \"I think it is very important to connect with the child; otherwise they will always be in fear of you. If we try to be friends with them, they will share a lot of stuff with us, as they do with their friends. There\'s so much stress these days ... so if we start pressurising them with the typical father ways, it\'s not going to help at all,\" says Arvind Singh, a father to two boys. Films reflect the society and it seems to be true in terms of the portrayal of a father on the big or small screen. Ekta Kapoor\'s TV show Bade Achche Lagte Hain (Feels Very Good) shows the father as more loving, considerate and understanding than the mother. In Pavitra Rishta (Sacred Relationship) the father is more compassionate than the mother. A recent survey by online matrimony site jeevansathi.com revealed how a father is moving towards a role where the child can look up to him for feedback and be the confidant while choosing a life partner. About 45 per cent of the 25,000 respondents, who were independent youngsters looking for a life partner on their own, depended on their fathers to help them make a decision. \"The new generation of children of marriageable age are starting to lean towards their parents for opinion. Traditionally it was the mother who played the influencing factor and the father the decision maker,\" said Rohit Manghnani, business head, jeevansathi.com. From / Gulf News