Bollywood’s filmmakers, Actors and singers share their favourite patriotic song, film and who they consider to be the true national figure, this Republic day. Have a look:

J.P Dutta: “My favorite patriotic song is ‘Hum Laayen Hain Toofan Se Kashti Nikalke Iss Desh Ko Rakhna Mere Bachcho Sambhal Ke’ from the film Jagriti. My favorite patriotic film will have to be my own ‘Border’. And I’d say the true national figure is the the Soldier of the armed forces. He represents the true spirit of India.”

Malaika Arora Khan: ” ‘Sare Jahan Se Achcha’….I don’t know what happens to me when I hear that song. It fills with pride for being Indian. My favorite national figure: all the freedom fighters who brought us where we are today. No doubt, they’re the true heroes.”

Shabana Azmi: “Favorite song has to be ‘Kar Chale Hum Fida’ from Haqeeqat…Jiyo Kaifi Azmi. Jiyo Madan Mohan. Jiyo Mohd Rafi! Favorite national figure? Undoubtedly Mahatma Gandhi, though Nehruji was also a remarkable visionary.”

Hema Malini: “My favorite patriotic songs are the national anthem and Lataji’s ‘Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon’. And Bapuji is my favorite national figure.”

Dia Mirza: “My favorite song is Hemant Kumar’s ‘Insaaf Ki Dagar Pe’ from Ganga Jumna because it addresses itself to children and tells them their responsibility as Indian citizens. I also love Vande mataram. Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi is my favorite patriotic film. I watched it when I was very young. I realized for the first time what love for the country is. The national figure who evokes a deep sense of patriotism in me is Mahatma Gandhi.”

Himesh Reshammiya: “Favorite patriotic film Upkar and song ‘Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon’.
National figure? Gandhiji of course”

Manoj Bajpayee: “Song is ‘Kar Chale Hum Fida Jaan-O-Tan Saathiyon’ from Haqeeqat and my favorite patriotic film is my own 1971 directed by Amrit Sagar. National figure? Bhagat Singh!”

Rahul Khanna: “I thought Chak De India was incredibly patriotic. My favorite song is predictably our national anthem. It’s a truly beautiful piece of music and verse. My favorite national figure is the Indian soldier who toils selflessly at the border to protect our country.”

Bhavna Talwar: My favorite song is ‘Ae Mere Pyare Watan’ from Kabuliwala. Though many great patriotic films have been made, I would choose my own Dharm for its message of national integration at a time when rappers are singing about hatred. My favorite national figure is APJ Abdul Kalam.”

Dino Morea: “Favorite patriotic film and song is Border and A R Rahman’s ‘Ma Tujhe Salaam’. Favorite national figure? Ummmm. Subhas Chandra Bose. Don’t ask me why.”

Ravi Kissan: “My favorite song is ‘Mera Rang De Basanti Chola’ from Shaheed. And my favorite national personalities are Anna Hazare and Sunil Dutt.”

Suneel Darshan: “I’m a big Manoj Kumar fan and my favorite film is Upkar, favorite song is ‘Hai Preet Jahan Ki Reet Sadaa Main Geet Wahan Ke Gata Hoon’ from Purab Aur Pachchim.”

Mahesh Bhatt: “Favorite patriotic song would have to be ‘Kar Chale Hum Fida’ by Kaifi Azmi. And favorite film is Chetan Anand’s Haqeeqat. My favorite national figure? Rabindranath Tagore.”

Satish Kaushik: “Manoj Kumar’s Upkar….and favorite patriotic song is ‘Kar Chale Hum Fida’. National figure is Shah Rukh Khan in Chak De India.”

Anant Mahadevan: “‘Kar Chale Hum Fida’ from the film Haqeeqat which is also my favorite patriotic film on the Indo-China war. Very relevant to today’s politics. Will China pull the rug on us again? Favorite national figures are Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan, our first president who was a true statesman and understood the spirit of India, And C V Raman whose Raman Effect was a path breaking find.”

Aftab Shivdasani: “My favorite patriotic song is ‘Ae Mere Pyare Watan’. Film is Chak De India. And Shah Rukh Khan is my choice for the national figure.”

Apoorva Lakhia: “Favorite patriotic film is Border and song ‘Mera Rang De Basanti Chola’. My favorite patriotic character is Ben Kingsley as Gandhi fighting against all odds and sacrificing himself for the greater cause that is the country.”

Raveena Tandon: “I love Bharat (Manoj Kumar) in Purab Aur Pachchim and that song in the film ‘Hai Preet Jahan Ki Reet’, specially the line ‘Jab Zero Diya Mere Bharat Ne’.

Boman Irani: “Without doubt my favorite patriotic song is ‘Ae Mere Pyare Watan’ by Manna Dey. I sing it all the time. It just makes me cry. It’s a song dedicated to the country, to home.”

Divya Dutta: “Favorite song ‘Kar Chale Hum Fida’. Favorite film is Haqeeqat. My national hero would be Manoj Kumar for acting in and making films that represent the true spirit of India.

Alka Yagnik: Lataji’s ‘Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon’ is my all-time favorite song