Chitrangda Singh lived in various states across India before she made Mumbai her home. The actress is thankful to her dad, Colonel Niranjan Singh, a retired Army officer, because of whom she got an opportunity to explore and experience the various cultures and traditions of our country. On the occasion of Republic Day, she reminisces the time when her home would be bustling with activity on this special day.

Taking us back in time, when families from her army colony would get together for the flag hoisting ceremony, she says, “In the regiment, we would have a flag hoisting ceremony. So, some of the officers from four companies — Alpha, Bravo, Charlie and Delta — in the regiment would be present for the occasion. The place would be freshly painted and done up for the day. At home, our parents would tune in to the parade while having breakfast. My brother and I would watch it from the beginning to the end. It would be exciting to see the new weaponry, like new tanks, guns or other equipment. At the time, my brother was keen to join the army, so he would follow the parade ardently.”

The actress adds that the brother-sister duo would eagerly await the regiment that her father represented to appear on television. “My father was in the Gorkha regiment. So, we would enthusiastically cheer for them and believed that they marched the best, and the salute by their soldiers always stood out. It was a proud moment for us.”

Talking about her experiences of being raised in an army family, she adds, “Whenever I visited an army mess, I would observe the table manners that they followed and learnt from them. I would also see that whenever the junior officers’ wives would walk in, the senior-most officers in the room would stand up and offer them the chair.”

Chitrangda believes that her upbringing has inculcated certain values and discipline in her. “I learnt a lot from my father and picked up these little nuances from what I observed while growing up in that environment. A sense of discipline, humility, respect and maintaining certain decorum are a few things that I picked up while growing up and I am really glad that I inculcated these values,” she signs off.