Mumbai, August 15 (IANS) Actress Barkha Singh, who grew up as the daughter of a naval officer, says patriotism has never been something she consciously practised but has always been deeply woven into her everyday life.
Speaking to IANS on the occasion of India’s 79th Independence Day, Barkha said growing up in a military household shaped her understanding of patriotism from an early age.
Talking about what patriotism means to her, she said, “Patriotism, I think, is a way of life. It is not something that I have to think of or consciously do to be patriotic. We’ve just grown up listening to “Jai Hind” instead of a “Hello.” So, just small nuances like that have also instilled patriotism at such a deep level that it’s honestly just a way of life. There is no other way.”
Barkha’s father served in the Indian Navy and is now a retired naval officer. Recalling her childhood as a Fauji child, she said frequent transfers became some of her most cherished memories.
“Growing up as a Fauji child, my dad used to serve in the Indian Navy. He’s now a retired naval officer. As a military kid, one of my favourite and core memories growing up is the transfers the whole excitement of moving to a new place and making new friends. While most other kids had one, maximum two, first days of school, as Fauji kids, I think we’ve had multiple first days. It felt daunting then, but I think it just made us a lot more outgoing.”
“It was a core memory for me to experience first days not just at school, but also in your colony, your group of friends and even your school bus. Everything was a new beginning with every transfer, and it was exciting every single time,” she added.
The actress also credited her father’s military life for instilling discipline in her, a quality she continues to carry into her professional and personal life.
“I think discipline. It was instilled in us in literally everything we did. Even our summer vacations were never about sleeping in. We would wake up at quarter to six to be in the swimming pool by 6 or 6:15, followed by swimming lessons, horse riding, and everything being done on time. Everything was clockwork.”
“I have carried that discipline into my professional and daily life. My team sometimes gets a little annoyed with how much importance I give to being on time and doing things exactly when they’re supposed to be done. But it’s literally a product of growing up in a military household. You really can’t take it out of you,” Barkha said.
Barkha further said that Independence Day has taken on an even more special meaning in recent years. Her father continues to receive respect from their residential community for his years of service.
“Not while growing up, but now Independence Day feels very special because, though we are not living in Navy or military housing and are living in our own housing, everyone in the colony has so much respect for Dad being a veteran. He is always called to hoist the flag in our colony. So, I think that is a very special memory, watching Dad and seeing the respect and reverence he gets for all the years of his service.”
Barkha also used the occasion to urge people to remember and acknowledge the contribution of those serving in the armed forces.
“This Independence Day, we should keep all the jawans, all the officers, everyone serving in the armed forces—whether in the Navy, Army or Air Force—in our prayers, keep them in mind, and just thank them for their contribution. Or, if we ever see a veteran, it’s a very small gesture from us to go and say, “Thank you for your service,” but it really matters to them.”
Barkha Singh, who began her career as a child artiste, has worked across films, television and the digital space. She has appeared in projects including Mujhse Fraaandship Karoge, Samrat & Co., Engineering Girls, Please Find Attached, Masaba Masaba, Four More Shots Please! and Silence… Can You Hear It?.
–IANS
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