Shades of 15th August: Patriotism in B-Town

There are only two occasions wherein patriotism hugely strikes the hearts and minds of Indians; first when there is a cricket match being played by the National Team of India, and second when it's jashn-e-azaadi, better known as, Independence Day. With the monsoon coming in strongly, India also gracefully welcomes its Independence Day celebrations on 15th August, 2016, as we complete 70 years of freedom from colonisation by the British Empire. As a means of adding to these celebrations, we at BollyCurry are looking out for which of B-Town's celebs are engaging in patriotic activities this year.

 

Leading the celebrations in one of the biggest cities in the world, Neetu Chandra was spotted at the advance celebrations in Toronto earlier this week. For the first time in five years, there were floats consisting of nine different colours at the Grand Parade Marshal. It was a day-long programme consisting of activities with the Indian touch and over 250 Indian artistes showcased Indian diversity through their performances.

 

Recently married, Preity Zinta Goodenough flew all the way to Atlanta and joined the 20th Indian Festival organised in light of the Indian Independence Day. She took Twitter to keep readers up to date with the festivities. As expected, she looked and spoke like a true Indian, and we need more patriots like Zinta in B-Town.

 

Karan Johar, Alia Bhatt and Farah Khan have come up with something extraordinary by teaming up with iTunes India for their Independence Special: The Freedom Series. This entails the celebrities sharing what movies and music changed their lives and set them free. Be sure to check out this audio and video playlist by iTunes on 15th August!

 

Legendary composer and singer, A. R. Rahman is all set to echo "Jai Ho" at the United Nations event later this week, to honour M. S. Subbulakshmi; another talented vocalist of the 90's. The world's iconic personalities will be seen at this UN event, themed at celebrating Indian Independence with cultural extravaganza and soulful Indian music. This makes Rahman the second Indian face to perform at a UN event after Subbulakshmi, who was invited to perform 50 years ago. Indeed, Jai Ho!

 

The Middle East is often in the news for appreciating Bollywood like no other country. Abu Dhabi, alongside its Cultural Authority, has set up a special entertainment programme for the Indian community residing in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Kapil Sharma will be seen giving a dose of laughter to the audience, whereas Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani will shake the floors with their upbeat music. You do not want to miss out on this event at Al Raha Beach on August 18th, if you're residing in the UAE.

 

Finally, blessing the world with her presence is our dearest, Rakhi Sawant. The most patriotic celebrity in all essence was seen sporting a black knee-length dress. Wait for it... the black dress had pictures of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi printed all over, including a large-sized one across the back-side. Sawant wore this outfit at an event organised by the Federation of Indian Americans earlier this week in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Whether or not this was a proud moment for the Federation, only God knows.

 

With a bit of amusement and a lot of pride, we at BollyCurry are gearing up for our 70th Independence celebrations next week, with the hope that more Bollywood celebrities come out and showcase their love for their country in front of millions of viewers. Be sure to sport the tricolour and promote our nation's pride in the upcoming days! Signing off with a bit of patriotism, Bharat Mata Ki Jai!