Exclusive: Harrdy Sandhu recalls his experience of being in Chandigarh with his family in the wake of Operation Sindoor

Time of India

19-05-2025

Harrdy Sandhu
As tensions escalated between India and Pakistan after
Operation Sindoor
, Chandigarh – like many cities – was placed on high alert. Singer-actor
Harrdy Sandhu
, who was at his Chandigarh home at the time, experienced the sirens and blackout firsthand. 'It was scary,' he recalls. 'The sirens went off two days in a row, and one day, there was a six to seven-hour blackout.'
'We were told to switch off all lights during the blackout'
Harrdy shares that during the tensions, he reached out to a friend in the
Armed Forces
to check where he was posted. 'He disconnected the call and sent a text saying, 'I can't talk right now, this is very serious. If it's a blackout, don't even turn on your phone's light. Just switch everything off and stay put,'' Harrdy says.
The singer-actor was also concerned about his close friend, cricketer Rahul Sharma, who was in Jalandhar at the time. 'He sent me a voice note and sounded really scared. He said he was on his terrace when he saw drones in the sky,' Harrdy recalls.
'I was constantly in touch with my parents'
While Harrdy was at his Chandigarh home with his wife and son, his parents were in Patiala. 'I stayed in constant touch with them over the phone. Eventually, I felt we should be together in such a situation. While we were on our way to Patiala, the ceasefire was announced. We breathed a sigh of relief, but after reaching Patiala, we stayed with my parents for a couple of days,' he shares.
'We are proud of our Armed Forces for what they have done to protect us'
Despite the initial fear, Harrdy found comfort in the Armed Forces' response to the escalating tensions between India and Pakistan. He says, 'While in Chandigarh, I had thought we would move elsewhere if the situation escalated. But seeing how our Armed Forces responded, we decided to stay put. After the ceasefire was announced, when we were on the highway, we saluted the soldiers that we passed by. We are proud of our Armed Forces for all that they have done to protect us. We always heard stories ki hamari Armed Forces strong hai, par ab dekhne mila ki how powerful we are.'
'This experience made me realise how precious life is'
The experience reminded Harrdy of the war stories his grandfather used to share. 'I was born and raised in Patiala. My grandfather served in the police and often spoke about the 1971 war. Now, witnessing this India-Pakistan conflict first-hand made me realise how precious life truly is.'