Israeli actor Tsahi Halevi, popularly known for his work in the counter-terrorism thriller series 'Fauda', celebrated his country's 74th Independence Day (and 30 years of Indo-Israeli diplomatic ties) by crooning, appropriately for the occasion) the Hindi song 'Tere jaisa yaar kahaan' from the 1981 Amitabh Bachchan-starrer 'Yarana'.
Check out the video here:
"We are celebrating 30 years of friendship, so I thought the song will be relevant," Halevi said, before breaking into the song to the accompaniment of a guitar.
The actor is also a well-regarded singer. His audience included External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Naor Gilon, Israel's Ambassador to India.
Gilon noted, "Jews have been living in India in peace and security for about 2,000 years." Jaishankar, in his speech, reiterated this connection and said: "We have had a long history of Jewish presence and Jewish community amongst us and as a society we are really enriched by their contributions. ... This for us is truly a special relationship."
Earlier, talking to the media, Halevi, who was seen playing an antagonist in the popular Netflix series, revealed that he was also "involved in the first co-production between India and Israel".
He added, without divulging anything about the project, "I know India has a lot of creativity. It has a lot of experience. It is a great opportunity for us to understand Indian television and cinema."
About the Israeli television series, Halevi said, "I think 'Fauda' is a hit in India. We get a lot of social media feedback from India." It is a great opportunity to understand Indian television and cinema."
'Fauda', which in English translates as chaos, tells the story of Doron, a commander in the Mista'arvim unit of the Israeli Defence Forces and his unit. In the first season, they pursue a Hamas terrorist known as 'The Panther'.
The fourth season of 'Fauda' is most likely to be aired next year, but Halevi is not part of the action.
"Honestly speaking, I am not involved in season four," he said. "So, I don't really know what's happening. I believe the filming has ended and it will come out next year."
