Actor Suniel Shetty has shared a story about his 15-month-old granddaughter, Evaarah, revealing that she greets a photograph of Prime Minister Narendra Modi every morning and even offers him make-believe laddoos. The actor said neither he nor Athiya Shetty, KL Rahul or Evaarah’s nanny ever taught her to do so, adding that he believes there is “something magical” about the Prime Minister.
Speaking to Times Now, Suniel opened up on his admiration for PM Modi, recalling the first time he met him in Ahmedabad and the impression the meeting left on him.
“I’ve always said that I’m a huge fan of him. I’m not talking about a political party; I’m talking about a leader. If a leader inspires me, he inspires me. As much as I love my country, I love that man.”
‘She opens the book every morning and says, “Modi ji”‘
The actor then shared an anecdote about his 15-month-old granddaughter, Evaarah, saying she has unexpectedly developed a fondness for PM Modi.
“There is something about him. You won’t believe it—my granddaughter is just 15 months old. One day, at the airport, one of her nannies pointed to a photograph and simply said, ‘Modi ji.’ That’s all.”
According to Suniel, that one moment has now turned into a daily ritual for the little one.
“Now, every morning, she picks up a Sai Baba book that has a large photograph of Modi ji in it. She opens the book, points at the picture and says, ‘Modi ji, Modi ji.’ Then she goes to the Ganpati idol at home, picks up a make-believe laddoo and brings it back to offer it to his photograph.”
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Suniel stressed that nobody in the family encouraged Evaarah to do this.
“I never asked her to do that. Neither did her parents, nor did the nanny. The nanny only pointed at the photograph and said, ‘Modi ji.’ There has to be something. There really is something.”
He added that he believes PM Modi has a unique connect with people across generations.
“And she’s not the only one. From a 15-month-old child to a 65-year-old person, he’s captured people’s hearts. We’ve never said a word to her about him, yet she still says, ‘Modi ji.'”
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‘I was in total awe’
Suniel also recalled the first time he met PM Modi in Ahmedabad around 2010, saying that encounter strengthened his admiration for him.
“I think the magic with me started when I met him for the first time in Ahmedabad. I had gone there for some work. The meeting was scheduled for 11 o’clock. Exactly at 11, the door opened. ‘Shetty ji, boliye.’ I think it was around 2010, and I didn’t know how to react.”
The actor said the meeting left a lasting impression on him.
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“He looked me straight in the eye. Everything was perfect. After the meeting, he said, ‘Okay, all done. Thank you very much.’ As he was leaving, he spoke to me about life and a few other things. I was in total awe.”
Suniel often speaks about granddaughter Evaarah
Suniel has often spoken about the joy Evaarah has brought into his life. In an earlier interview with the Free Press Journal, he had said she reminds him of his daughter, Athiya Shetty.
“She is exactly like Athiya, in fact a 2.0 version of her. I spend every free moment with her.”
The actor also revealed that one of the happiest parts of his day is returning home after his early morning workout to spend time with Evaarah. He begins his day at the gym between 5:30 am and 7 am before heading home to be with his granddaughter, whom he fondly calls the “ghar ki Lakshmi.” Despite a busy work schedule, he said he is always eager to return home to see her.
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Athiya Shetty married cricketer KL Rahul on January 23, 2023, and the couple welcomed Evaarah in March 2025.
Suniel Shetty’s latest release
Suniel Shetty’s film Welcome to the Jungle released in theatres on June 26. The ensemble comedy also stars Akshay Kumar, Raveena Tandon, Jacqueline Fernandez, Disha Patani, Paresh Rawal and Rajpal Yadav.
The film opened to a net collection of Rs 15 crore in India on its first day, while its worldwide gross reached Rs 29 crore. It clashed at the box office with the Hollywood release Supergirl.
Suniel Shetty has often spoken about the joy Evaarah has brought into his life. (Photo: Instagram/Suniel Shetty)