For Manushi Chhillar, Raksha Bandhan has always been about gender parity and equality

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In the Chhillar household, Raksha Bandhan has been an extremely significant occasion to teach the kids some important life values. The ethereally beautiful Manushi Chhillar reveals that, for her, this ceremony has always stood for gender parity and equality, thanks to her doctor parents Mitra Basu and Neelam.

While popularly, on this day, sisters tie a talisman, called Rakhi, around the wrists of their brothers. The ceremony symbolizes the fact that the brothers will be protecting and taking care of their sisters through their lives, thus implying a deep sense of patriarchy in society. Manushi’s parents have, however, always taught the three siblings Dewangana, Dalmitra and Manushi that protecting each other and standing by each other is most important. They have been taught that the brother too will need the sisters just as much the sisters might need their brother.

Manushi says, “In my family, my parents have always instilled a sense of parity, a sense of equality in everything we do or celebrate. So, even when we have celebrated Raksha Bandhan, it has been a very inclusive occasion for us. Dewangana, Dalmitra, and I have always celebrated it as a day to appreciate the bond we share as siblings and promise that we’ll always be there for each other. We’re best friends!”

Manushi is set to debut in Yash Raj Films’ big-ticket historical Prithviraj starring Akshay Kumar. She says that her brother Dalmitra is hugely progressive in his thinking because of her parents. She says, “My brother, being the youngest, has himself been vocal about the fact that he needs his sisters as much as we need him. That’s the bond we share.”

The gorgeous girl, who made India proud in 2017 by winning back Miss World crown 17 years after Priyanka Chopra won it, adds, “This ethos has come from our parents and how we have seen them being equals at everything. They have been our role models because of their principles, morals, philosophies, and the way they have led and maintained their relationship. I can’t thank them enough for making us independent, inclusive, and for grounding us with the right values.”

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