Don’t just celebrate Independence Day, make the most of your freedom, says Mohit Raina

‘Are we actually free? Are we making the most of our freedom? Do we at times take our freedom for granted?’ These are the questions actor Mohit Raina wants everyone to ask themselves on Independence Day.

The 37-year-old actor says that one should be thankful for the freedom we, as a country, enjoy today. “Freedom is not just a seven letter word, there’s definitely more to it,” he continues, “It was a long struggle and had it not been for the martyrs and their contribution, we wouldn’t have been enjoying this freedom. But apart from celebrating the day and remembering what happened, which is important, are making the most of that hard-earned freedom is something we need to ask ourselves,” says Mohit, who has been a part of patriotic narratives based on real life incidents such as the film Uri: The Surgical Strike and web shows 21 Sarfarosh: Saragarhi 1897 and Kaafir.

The actor explains that it’s very important to work towards the betterment of our country and also make sure that we act as responsible citizens. “The other day we saw how a stray dog in Mumbai died after being brutally beaten up. As human beings, isn’t it our duty to act more responsibly? We should make our country proud with what we’re doing. It’s important that we look around and see what can be done in terms of environment, other civic issues, help those in need without making differentiations in terms of caste, creed, colour or religion… We can’t just sit and blame the government, it’s time we ask ourselves are we doing our bit,” he elaborates.

Asserting that he is only trying to ‘express’ what he feels, the actor maintains he doesn’t want to sound preachy. “Hopefully people would understand where I’m coming from. I’m not just saying all these things; I also try and follow them and question myself,” he says, urging everyone to support each other in good causes.

“Every time I plan to do something, I ask myself if I’m doing the right thing or not. Being an actor, my intention is to put out inspiring things for the youth, who are the future of our country… Things like how do to counter pollution, water and waste management… I think it’s time that we redefine our freedom,” he concludes.

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