Mumbai, Aug 22 (IANS): Bollywood debutante and former beauty queen Manushi Chhillar has revealed that her parents Neelam and Mitra Basu Chhillar never told her sister Dewangana and her that Raksha Bandhan was about women seeking protection from their brothers.

She says this made the two young girls of the family forward thinking individuals as Raksha Bandhan, in their household, has always been celebrated as a day where all the siblings wished happiness for each other.

Manushi said: "Our parents never told Dewangana and me that Raksha Bandhan was about our brother taking care of us for life and protecting us. They told us that Raksha Bandhan was all about all of us vowing to be beside each other through ups and downs."

"It was never about gender and how the man has to protect the women. It was never about us thinking that women need protection and thus were weak," she added.

Manushi, who will be debuting in Bollywood in the big screen with 'Prithviraj' opposite Akshay Kumar, thanks her parents for instilling such progressive values.

"For us, Raksha Bandhan is a time when we all keep our calendars free to just hang and chill and spend time with our parents. It's a celebration of us as a family and I just look forward to it every year. I credit my parents for being progressive and teaching us the right values that have shaped us to be forward thinking individuals," she said.