From watching the colourful parade to dressing in shades of the tricolour — actors from the Hindi telly world have fond memories of Republic Day.

As India celebrated its 69th Republic Day, TV actors like Arjun Bijlani, Priyamvada Kant and Vivian D’Sena shared their past experiences:

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Priyamvada Kant: I am a huge patriot. It has been a ritual to celebrate Republic Day since I was a kid. I used to wake up early morning and sit with my parents and watch the parade. The glimpse of the culture from every state along with their dance performances was my favourite bit.

Harshad Chopda: I always looked forward to Republic Day as a child. I remember family and friends joining us in the living room to sit together and watch the televised version of the parade in Delhi. At the time, airplanes really fascinated me and therefore, I used to look forward to the Air Force presentation in the parade which is something I still always wait to watch.

Arjun Bijlani: My son Ayaan recently turned 3 and this Republic Day I am going to gift him our national flag. He is aware of our national anthem and the flag too, but I will be gifting him one personally because I want him to understand the value of it. I also wish to take him to the Republic Day Parade in Delhi once, as the atmosphere over there is so patriotic and electrifying.

Vivian D’Sena: My request to everyone on this Republic Day is to respect our Flag. The national flag is a symbol of our nation’s respect and pride. There is liberal use of the flag on Independence Day and Republic Day. There is a new trend of selling flags made of paper and plastic. We all buy these flags enthusiastically – but the very next day, we find these flags being trampled upon on the roads, in dustbins and elsewhere. We shouldn’t do that.

Vanshika Sharma: The Republic Day takes always takes me back to the school days with all the patriotic song and dance competitions. The dressing up in the tricolor and the proud feeling of being the citizens of the biggest democracy of the world, it still gives me goosebumps.

Vidhi Pandya: I always loved history and listening or reading the stories of the Indian freedom fighters who fought so valiantly to give us the independence we enjoy today. In our busy lifestyles, we sometimes forget to be thankful for the same and for me, Republic Day is a day in our life when we can stop what we are doing to pay our respects to those who died for the motherland and be grateful for what we now have. Jai Hind!

Dheeraj Sarna: As responsible citizens, we should all fulfil our duties and lead a disciplined life. I urge people to not only just celebrate the Day but become more responsible to make India a better place to live.