Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; January 15, 2018)

It’s not easy to live the gruelling life of an Indian Army jawan. Sidharth Malhotra and Manoj Bajpayee, who play Army officers in their upcoming film Aiyaary, got a sneak peek into their lives when they visited the Border Security Force (BSF) camp in Jaisalmer last week.

The cast and director Neeraj Pandey celebrated Lohri with the men in uniform as they entertained them with some good ol’ song-and-dance, and even picked up a few steps from the Rajasthani dancers. The team also took the opportunity to ring in an early birthday of a few jawans, who share their big day with Malhotra on January 16.

Taking the celebrations further, Bajpayee, along with co-stars Rakul Preet Singh, Pooja Chopra and Malhotra, took it upon himself to treat the jawans to his signature dish — Bihari mutton. “This was more of a picnic than a promotional activity. Getting into the kitchen, making food and sharing it with everyone was an amazing experience,” says Bajpayee.

What stuck with Malhotra, however, was the visit to the famous Tanot Mata temple the next day. Legend has it that the Pakistani army dropped several bombs to demolish the temple, during the 1965 Indo-Pak war, but the shrine remained intact. Enthusiastic about his visit to the temple, Malhotra says, “The jawans have tremendous belief in the temple and rightfully so, given its history. It was lovely to seek blessings there.” Pandey adds, “It [the temple] reinforces my belief in the powers beyond us.”




The actors with co-stars Rakul Preet Singh and Pooja Chopra