Independence Day 2023: Gufi Paintal to Bikramjeet Kanwarpal, actors who served in the Indian armed forces

Gufi Paintal, Bikramjeet Kanwarpal. Pic/Google

Independence Day 2023 is around the corner and the spirit of patriotism has filled every Indian's heart with pride. As we complete 76 years of independence and enter the 77th year, there's a new wave of enthusiasm. Speaking of Indian cinema, actors have essayed the roles of army officers, naval officers, air force officers etc. But do you know of celebrities who served the Indian armed forces before pursuing their careers in acting?

With Independence Day 2023 around the corner, here's the list of actors who were once an active part of the Indian armed forces and then became a part of the film fraternity.

Gufi Paintal

Gufi Paintal was active in the film industry since the '80s but before that, he had a different role to play. In an interview with Dainik Bhaskar, the actor had said that he always wanted to join the army and when the opportunity came during the war between India and China in 1962, he grabbed it and was posted in the Army Artillery on the China Border. He passed away in June this year.

Bikramjeet Kanwarpal

Bikramjeet Kanwarpal, who acted in several films including Page 3, 2 States, Heroine and others, was born into an Army family. He joined the Indian Army in 1989 and retired in 2002. A year later, he made his acting debut with Paap. He passed away at the age of 52 in 2021 due to COVID-19-related complications.

Rehman

Rehman, who acted in films like Pyar Ki Jeet (1948), Badi Behen (1949), Pardes (1950), and Waqt (1965), served the nation as a pilot in the Royal Indian Air Force. He reportedly quit his job to pursue acting and went on to do films for almost 3 decades.

Rudrashish Majumder

Rudrashish Majumder, who was seen in films like Chhichhore, and Jersey among others, was a part of the National Defence Academy and Indian Military Academy (Dehradun). He joined the force in 2011 and retired as a Major in 2018.

Achyut Potdar

Did you know? Veteran actor Achyut Potdar, who has entertained the audience in films like 3 Idiots, Dabangg 2, Lage Raho Munna Bhai, Parineeta and many more served the nation as a captain in the Indian Army and retired in 1967. He started his career as an actor in his 40s.