Isha Koppikar calls herself proud ‘andhbhakt’; declares love for changing Bharat: ‘Not blindly, but unapologetically’

After Independence Day, actor Isha Koppikar declared her love for the changing country in a new video. Watch.

Actor Isha Koppikar posted a video on her Instagram on Tuesday, calling herself a proud ‘andhbhakt’ (blind devotee). She claimed that while her devotion was not towards any political party, she was proud of the way the country was changing. Asking people to stop asking what the country has done for them, she stated that it was time to think about how to contribute to the country instead.

Isha Koppikar posted a video declaring her love and devotion to India.

Isha Koppikar calls herself an ‘andhbhakt’

Isha began her video by introducing herself and saying, “Yes, I am an andhbhakt. If it is bhakti (devotion) to love your country and want to see it progress, then yes, I am proud to be a bhakt… andhbhakt. But my blind devotion is not towards any political party; it’s towards my country. Nation first. I can question the government and disagree with its policies. And still love my country wholeheartedly.” Andhbhakt is usually a term for a blind follower of a political party or leader.

She then stated that she isn’t ashamed to be proud of India, “This country is my home, where I have earned and continue to earn a livelihood and where I continue to get opportunities. So, I am not ashamed to be proud of my country. Wherever you may live, learn to love that place, respect that place, and contribute to it. Be proud of the home you choose. Because patriotism is not just saying, I love my country. It is doing something that improves your country.”

Asks people to contribute instead of complain

Isha also had an analogy for how she perceived the citizens of this country. “There are two kinds of offspring. One who spends their life counting what their parents have and have not done for them. The other who make the most of what they have to make a life for themselves and their parents. The difference is not just in circumstances. It’s also in their thought,” she said.

“Instead of asking what the country has given us all the time, why not start thinking about what we can contribute to the country? Because Bharat is changing. It’s time to change our thoughts to help in making a new Bharat. So, call me a bhakt, call me an andhbhakt, call me a nationalist. I am Indian, I love my India, I believe in my India. Not blindly, but proudly, passionately, and unapologetically,” she summed it up.

“If loving India is “andhbhakti,” then I’ll proudly wear the label. Because I can question what feels wrong, appreciate what feels right, and still put my nation above everything,” she wrote in her caption.

On Independence Day, Isha posted a video of her daughter, Rianna, singing the national anthem in Indian Sign Language. “Jana Gana Mana has always reminded us that our differences don’t divide us-they make India what it is,” she wrote in her caption.