Raashii Khanna calls herself a “patriot by heart”, who has always felt a strong inclination towards serving her nation in various capacities. On Independence Day, the actor says that the sense of patriotism has always been high for her, so much that she wanted be a civil servant. “I wanted to be an IAS officer to serve my country,” she reveals.

However, Khanna feels “God’s plans were better” than hers! “As an actor I can be an IAS or a politician on screen. What’s better than that?” quips the actor who would love to play a role like actor Kangana Ranaut’s in Emergency.

When asked about films made on India’s freedom struggle and whether they are accurate, the 32-year-old whose favourite patriotic film is The Legend Of Bhagat Singh (2002), says, “I know filmmakers go an extra mile while making such movies, but I don’t think facts are manipulated.”

The actor, who will be seen in Yodha next, also reminisces her fondest childhood memory of Independence Day. “I was part of the school choir and we used to sing patriotic songs for I-Day functions. My favourite was Aye Mere Watan Ke Logon and it was always such a challenge to get it right because it was sung by the late Lata Mangeshkar. It was so difficult to get the notes correct,” she recounts.

For the Madras Cafe (2013) actor “Freedom is when your mind does not control you”. She continues, “I’d like to be free from my fears, which are mostly about losing my family and loved ones.”

Khanna urges everyone to celebrate Independence Day beyond just a national holiday. “Your love towards the country should reflect in your actions. This emotion of patriotism should flow from your heart every day of the year. However, there is no harm in having a day to celebrate it. It let’s you collectively celebrate the efforts of our freedom fighters and pay them respect,” she ends.