India, Jan. 25 -- As the country gears up to celebrate Republic Day on January 26, actor Vivaan Shah is reflecting on what he calls the most defining role of his career: playing an Army officer in the recent release Ikkis. The actor, who plays Captain Vijendra Malhotra, shares that the first person he called to prep for his role was his uncle, retired Colonel Zameeruddin Shah.

"I always wanted to play someone from the forces. It was in my subconscious for a long time. What I didn't know is how it's going to impact me forever," the 36-year-old tells us.

Now that the film is in the public domain, he says the character no longer belongs to him: "I play a diligent, smart, honest Army man, and when people say I pulled it off convincingly, it...