Mumbai, February 12 Mona Singh was promoting a show when she received a call from the makers of "Border 2," and the actor says she eagerly accepted the opportunity to star in the film, as the daughter of a soldier who fought in the 1971 war and lost his foot in a mine blast.
Singh plays Simi Kaler, the wife of Sunny Deol's character, Lt Col Fateh Singh Kaler, in the film, which has become a major box office success this year, earning nearly Rs 500 crore since its release on January 23.
"I believe that sometimes, the script chooses you, rather than the other way around. That's exactly what happened to me with 'Border 2'... When I read the script, I thought, 'This was meant for me, and I must do it.' It was just a week before the shoot. I was busy promoting another show. I realized that I had to make time for this, and I had to do it. Not just because of the script, but because of the background. I am the daughter of a soldier," Singh said at the movie's success press conference.
The actor, who is receiving accolades for her portrayal of a cop investigating a murder in Sudip Sharma's "Kohrra 2", said that the emotions her character experiences, she has already experienced herself because of her father.
"My father fought in the '71 war. The way it's depicted in the first scene of the movie, when Sunny sir enters that minefield, that's exactly what happened to my father, and to many other soldiers, when they stepped on the mines. My father lost a foot.
"I honestly feel that when soldiers go to the border to fight, they don't go there alone. Their families stand with them in that moment, and we have seen that firsthand. I loved every scene. Like Nidhi (Dutta, producer and daughter of director J P Dutta) was talking about her father's legacy. It was the same feeling for me. It's a tribute and ode to my father," Singh said.
