Actress Kareena Kapoor’s in a mad dash to complete her films, but she is more than willing to make time to share her excitement about Independence Day and pose with the national flag.

“It’s a proud moment for any Indian to hold the tricolour,” she says with the enthusiasm of a schoolgirl as the shoot commences.

Talking about Independence Day, she says that the day is special to her just like it is to every Indian,but it also has a lot of sentimental value attached to it on a more personal note. “As children, Lolo (sis Karisma Kapoor) and I would head off to the RK Studios in Chembur where my grandfather Raj Kapoor had a flag hoisting ceremony every Independence Day. It was something we all looked forward to excitedly,” recalls Kareena, adding that she also enjoyed watching the Independence Day parade on TV.

Patriotic films have also been a staple diet for her during her childhood. “I’ve grown up on movies like Kranti and Shaheed, they were a huge part of my world as a child,” says Kareena,who made her debut in Refugee which had strong patriotic connotations.

But it’s not only in films that sheshows her patriotic streak — the actor is known to often choose Indian wear over Western for most red-carpet events. “To be Indian and also proudly wear Indian,” is her mantra.

“I’ve always personally thought that a woman looks best in Indian saris. That’s something I always sport on the red carpet,” she says.

But do today’s youth relate to the day? “If anything, we are all still in awe of all our national heroes. We may not acknowledge it on a daily basis, but no Indian can overlook the sacrifices they made for our country to be a free country. That’s also what I would wish for India to be always: An efficiently functioning democracy.”