Hindustan Times (Lucknow) - Hindustan Times (Lucknow) - Live
‘Singing the National Anthem gives me a sense of belonging’
Neeti Mohan is one of the most popular singers in Bollywood right now, and she has carved a niche for herself. But, there is more to her than what meets the eye. Neeti’s love for her country and her unabashed expression of it is something that’s rare in the present day. She admits, “I may sound very old school, but Republic Day is very important for me. Since childhood, my parents have inculcated in us the values of patriotism and serving our country.”
As a child, Neeti was part of her school band that would perform at the Republic Day parade every year. She recalls, “From 1993 to 1995 and then again in 2000, I was part of the Republic Day parade and I was also my school band’s leader. In 2000, as part of NCC (National Cadet Corps), I got to offer the salute to the then President of India, KR Narayanan. Ever since my childhood, this day has been an important part of my life.”
As a tribute, Neeti will release today on her YouTube channel a mashup of two versions of India’s National Song, Vande Mataram, which features her sisters — Mukti and Shakti Mohan. “It means a lot to me because we, as sisters and artistes, wanted to do whatever we could. We feel extremely responsible towards our country, hence, we are releasing the song,” says Neeti, adding, “I can’t explain what I feel for this day. We’ve been brought up singing the National Anthem, and every time we sing it, there is a sense of belonging and ownership. We’ve always been taught the value of our country, soil, and to love our nation. Republic Day holds a very special place in my heart. I’m extremely patriotic and I’ve always felt like doing something for the nation that adds some value. I always try doing something musically.”
This Republic Day, Neeti wishes to see a cleaner India, for it pains her when people abroad feel India is not a clean country. “We should all be responsible citizens of India. We must keep our house and neighbourhood clean, and never litter. And to the women of this country, I would ask them to take charge and believe that when a woman wants to do something, she can,” she signs off.
DANIEL CRAIG HAS PLAYED THE ROLE OF JAMES BOND IN CASINO ROYALE (2006), QUANTUM OF SOLACE (2008), SKYFALL (2012), AND SPECTRE (2015)