He is treading new grounds as India's youngest superhero with his upcoming film, A Flying Jatt, but for Tiger Shroff, our soldiers who brave bullets at the border are the real superheroes. As our country enters the 70th year of independence, the young actor talks to Bombay Times about his idea of patriotism and why it will never lose value for Indians...

Your father (Jackie Shroff) has done many patriotic movies. Do you want to do one as well?
I have tremendous respect for the Indian army. Their discipline and physical fitness is awe-inspiring. The soldiers are the real heroes of our country. If I ever get to do a film like Border, it will be the role of a lifetime for me.

Do you think Bollywood is not making as many patriotic films as before?
On the contrary, a lot of films that are made today are patriotic. Maybe our understanding of patriotism is uni-dimensional. For instance, when I saw Varun Dhawan waving the National flag during the climax of ABCD 2, I had tears in my eyes. It wasn't an overwhelmingly patriotic film but the Indian youth does get moved by such scenes.

Do you feel there is a disparity between reel and real patriotism?
The feeling is subjective, but it stems from the pride of being an Indian. Whether people connect with it through cinema, sports or music, one can't deny it. When India wins the Cricket World Cup or our athletes make us proud at the Olympics, we beam with joy. That emotion is inherently there in every Indian. We don't need a movie to reinstate the feeling of patriotism.

What does independence mean to you?
For me, independence is feeling free from the shackles of our minds. Although our forefathers fought for freedom of expression, I feel today, we don't thank our soldiers enough. It is only because of them that we have the freedom of livelihood; we can go to bed in peace knowing that someone somewhere is protecting us and our loved ones at the cost of his life.