Happy Independance Day, India!

With the dawn of the 63rd Independence Day for India, we at BollyCurry are proud nationals!

And similar is the spirit witnessed among the many celebrities of tinsel town, who we manage to catch up with for a few quick takes on this special day of national pride and honour!

Without further delay, over to them...

Freida Pinto

1. What is the most patriotic thing you have ever done?

Patriotism should be how you care for your country by acting on the issues at hand, making it a better place to live in. Doing something, instead of continuously ranting "I believe in my country".

2. What does being an 'Indian' mean to you?

Pride. World's most happiest and proud person.

3. What, in your mind, is one thing that everyone could do to make our country a better place?

Voting must be made compulsory. If a person denies to vote then for the next three months, he can't purchase anything from the ration shop. If an educated individual is found not voting, he can be fined up to 1000 rs. Of course, valid reasons are acceptable. Other than that, everything else is subject to one or other sort of punishment. As a move of public influence, all celebrities must cast their vote and that should be telecasted if required, if they deny they should pay a fine.

4. What do you think is the best aspect of our culture?

Traditional Indian dresses. American clothes are uncomfortable. Where it gets very hot, it would be much more comfortable to wear loose fitting fabrics that breathe instead of fabrics that hold in body heat and clothes that pinch and bind.

Second would be the food. I love vegetables. I could easily be a vegetarian except that I like chicken and fish occasionally. And curries are yummy!

Colouring would be third. Bronze skin is so much prettier than mealy bug white.

5. Favourite memory of Independence Day?

I liked the parades held at my school when I was a kid.

Sherlyn Chopra

1. What is the most patriotic thing you have ever done?

I once distributed my own designed and hand made T-shirts bearing the Indian flag to street children in Hyderabad to wear on Independence Day.

2. What does being an 'Indian' mean to you?

World's happiest and proud person to be the citizen of the world's best country.

3. What, in your mind, is one thing that everyone could do to make our country a better place?

Fight on our own levels, against anything that compromises our national dignity.

4. What do you think is the best aspect of our culture?

It is diverse, unique and extraordinarily colourful.

5. Favourite memory of Independence Day?

It was the first time I had written a beautiful poem, In This India and everyone loved it.

Meiyang Chang

1. What is the most patriotic thing you have ever done?

I don't know if it is patriotic but I make sure I do not litter and try to propagate the same message to my friends and family so that we can live in a clean environment which makes a clean country.

2. What does being an 'Indian' mean to you?

Being an Indian means being a proud inheritor of a great past and being worthy of a glorious future, in spite of the burgeoning scepticism many of us share about it

3. What, in your mind, is one thing that everyone could do to make our country a better place

Abolish the 'crab' mentality. If we have to move forward, then it has be together. United we stand, divided we fall.

4. What do you think is the best aspect of our culture?

Our warmth and compassion towards our guests and our music.

5. Favourite memory of Independence Day?

The Independence Day program in school: the march past, the special dinner and singing patriotic songs in the school choir. I was too little to understand what I was singing, but the passionate speeches by active and current members of the army would reinforce the feeling that our country is indeed beautiful.

Manjari Fadnis

1. What is the most patriotic thing you have ever done?

I think the most patriotic thing I've done and will always continue to do so is respecting my country's space and not dirtying it by littering around.

2. What does being an 'Indian' mean to you?

Being an Indian to me means a person who values family bond, inherently emotional people, very hardworking, warm, hospitable, passionate etc...

3. What, in your mind, is one thing that everyone could do to make our country a better place?

A few simple things everyone can do to make our country a better place is by not littering around, definitely not making roads and public places their personal toilets or garbage dumps etc...

4. What do you think is the best aspect of our culture?

Best aspect of our culture is definitely the closeness or the bond we share with our families and relatives.

5. Favourite memory of Independence Day?

I don't remember my favourite memory on Independence Day, but I definitely remember my most embarrassing moment on Independence Day. When I was in 6th grade, I was forced to sing a patriotic song in my school assembly inspite of a bad cold and cough and my voice cracked in front of the entire school! I still continued and again it cracked but I didn't leave the stage till I finished the song, even though everyone in the audience was having a good laugh. In fact I just bumped into an old school acquaintance who didn't really know me in school and I realized that the incident still stays with them as one of the funniest moments for them in school...yes, at my cost!

Our heartfelt ode to the men who make our history a glorious one to remember! And our hearty congratulations to all fellow Indians, on this day that we celebrate our 63rd Independence Day! Lets strive to be better people each day, to grow into a wiser, warmer, wealthier nation - Jai Hind!