Independence Day 2020: Ushasi Ray, Rahul Dev Bose and other TV actors share what freedom means to them

India is proudly celebrating Independence Day. On the occasion, ETimes TV spoke with a few young and popular Bengali actors and asked what freedom means to them. The word evoked different emotions in the actors and here’s what they had to say... (Photo: Facebook)

When asked Rahul what the word means to him, he said, “The word freedom reminds me of the lines- Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high. Kobiguru Rabindranath Tagore beautifully explained it. To me, freedom is living life without fear. It’s an earnest desire to face the fear and overcome it keeping your head high.” (Photo: Facebook)

"It is tough to explain freedom. The profoundness is beyond expression. But the first word that comes up to my mind is-sacrifice. It is the sacrifice of numerous people who bravely fought against the British rulers and sacrificed everything so that we can taste freedom. Today, I am able to speak about freedom due to the sacrifices they had made. The word independence has taught me how far can you sacrifice for other's freedom," Ushasi said. (Photo: Instagram)

"The word independence reminds me of tricolour National flag flying high. To me, the word freedom also means fulfilling my dream without any interruption," said actor Dibyojyoti Dutta. (Photo: Facebook)

While speaking about freedom, young actress Sharly spoke about gender bias and raised some relevant questions. "Since we are speaking about freedom, then men and women both should enjoy it equally. But the question remains, are women really free? Even after so many years of independence, are we free from gender bias? Even today, girls aren't allowed to stay out of home till late. They are expected to take up certain jobs. Isn’t it unfortunate that girls are still judged by their attire? If the sky symbolises freedom, then when the girls will fly high?" she questioned. (Photo: Facebook)

Souvik also shared his views on freedom. He said, "To me the word stands for freedom of speech and expression. Being a citizen of an independent and sovereign country, we are entitled to some fundamental rights including freedom of speech and expression. But in reality, we can't. There are numerous factors that stop us from expressing ourselves fearlessly or sometimes unveiling the truth. There are numerous examples where the voice of common people has been suppressed. How many times can we express ourselves without the fear of getting criticised, crucified or simply facing the consequences?" (Photo: Facebook)

“To me, freedom is something that frees us from being divided in the name of societal status, power, gender or any other criteria. I would call us independent when a girl isn’t stopped from pursuing her dream just like a boy. I would call us independent when there won’t be a section of people who starve and a section of people who waste food just like that. To me freedom frees us from all kinds of disparity. And most importantly, independence is something that should be celebrated every day, not just August 15,” Rudrajit said. (Photo: Facebook)

“To me, freedom is a state that frees me from all the inhibition. A place where I can express myself without fear,” Shreema said. The actress also raised a few questions. “The definition of freedom changes as you grow up. When I was a child, Independence Day was all about flag hoisting, our school and cultural programs. Now that I have grown up and have seen the life, I ask myself are we really free? Can we express ourselves without being judged or roam around anywhere freely without fear? We are controlled by thoughts, fear and inhibitions. In fact, now, amid the pandemic we don’t have much freedom left. I have also realised the fact that earlier it was British rulers who ruled us but now we have lost our freedom to some virus,” she added.