What can a lullaby reveal about how fathers care? This study began with a simple question—do you sing to your children?—but it opened the door to something deeper. We spoke to over 500 men across India, from 18 to 80 years old, in train stations, temples, wedding halls, and street corners. Most said no. For many, singing felt unfamiliar, even awkward—something that didn’t belong to their idea of fatherhood.
But that silence wasn’t empty. It echoed with memories of distant fathers, pressures to be tough, and the quiet rules that shape how men show love. And yet, in some regions—where music is part of everyday life—fathers were far more at ease with tenderness. Grandfathers, too, told us how time had softened them, how they now sing and soothe in ways they never once allowed themselves to. Through lullabies, this report traces the quiet shifts in care, masculinity, and what’s beginning to change in Indian homes.
)
