Actor
Saanand
Verma,
best
known
for
his
versatile
performances
across
television
and
films,
will
soon
be
seen
in
the
upcoming
comedy
entertainer
Masti
4.
As
the
country
celebrates
Children’s
Day,
Saanand
opens
up
about
his
own
childhood
–
or
rather,
the
lack
of
one
–
and
shares
his
heartfelt
thoughts
on
the
innocence
that
defines
being
a
child.
“I
honestly
never
really
had
a
childhood,”
says
Saanand
candidly.
“I
grew
up
too
soon
and
kept
working
continuously.
From
the
age
of
eight,
I’ve
been
working,
so
I
don’t
really
know
what
childhood
feels
like
–
what
fun
school
or
college
life
is,
or
what
being
a
child
truly
means.”
Despite
that
early
start,
the
actor
insists
that
the
child
within
him
never
really
left.
“Even
though
I’ve
grown
up,
there’s
still
a
lot
of
innocence
and
playfulness
within
me.
I
still
feel
like
I’m
a
10-12-year-old
kid
sometimes.
That
childlike
energy
has
always
stayed
with
me.
For
me,
every
day
is
Children’s
Day,”
he
smiles.
But
as
much
as
he
celebrates
the
spirit
of
childhood
within
himself,
Saanand
expresses
concern
over
how
rapidly
today’s
children
are
growing
up.
“The
innocence
seems
to
be
fading
away,”
he
reflects.
“Today’s
kids
often
behave
like
adults.
Some
of
them
are
just
nine
years
old
but
act
as
if
they’re
25!
Thanks
to
social
media
and
the
Western
influence
that’s
coming
into
our
lives,
we
are
slowly
forgetting
our
Indian
roots
and
culture.”
He
goes
on
to
explain
how
overexposure
and
excess
can
dull
appreciation.
“When
you
have
too
much
of
something,
you
start
valuing
it
less.
The
overload
of
content
and
information
has
confused
today’s
children.
They
don’t
understand
what
to
watch,
what
to
do,
or
whom
to
follow.
They
grow
up
too
early
–
mentally
becoming
old
before
their
time.
Children’s
Day
is
fine,
but
unfortunately,
real
childhood
is
disappearing,”
he
adds.
For
Saanand,
the
solution
lies
in
balance
and
mindful
parenting.
“It’s
the
parents’ duty
to
keep
children
away
from
too
much
screen
time
and
instead
focus
on
natural
activities
–
music,
outdoor
play,
and
personality
development.
Children
should
remain
children,
not
look
or
act
older
than
their
age.”
When
asked
about
his
own
childhood
memories,
the
actor
recalls
that
he
didn’t
have
the
luxury
to
play
like
other
kids.
“I
missed
out
on
flying
kites,
playing
gilli
danda,
or
hide
and
seek.
There
were
no
video
games
back
then,
but
even
those
simple
joys
I
couldn’t
experience
because
I
was
always
working,”
he
admits.
“However,
one
thing
that
stayed
with
me
is
my
love
for
singing.
I’ve
been
singing
since
childhood,
and
even
today,
I
keep
humming
songs
for
no
reason
–
it
makes
me
happy.”
As
he
gears
up
for
his
next
big
release,
Masti
4,
Saanand
Verma
continues
to
embody
that
same
inner
spark
and
optimism
he’s
carried
since
childhood.
“That
innocence
within
you
–
that’s
your
true
childhood,”
he
concludes.
“And
I
still
have
that
innocence
inside
me.
It
has
always
been
there,
and
I
enjoy
it
every
single
day.”