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Journalism of Courage
Sandokan walks again! The actor, who played the memorable role of the Asian swashbuckler of the British colonial times, is ready to feature again in its sequel Darkness and Light. Kabir Bedi is best remembered for his portrayal of Sandokan in the original Italian series and for making successful inroads into the international stage.
What assignments does he have on hand currently, considering his last memorable appearance in India was in Khoon Bhari Maang? “At present, I am busy dubbing for the Sandokan series, which will be dubbed in Hindi for Star TV,” discloses the actor who has shifted base from Los Angeles, where he appeared in a host of TV serials and some noteworthy films (Octopussy, Thief Of Baghdad, The Black Pirate) to London. In London, he plans to develop new film and television projects. He is looking forward to working on a review of the Indian pop scene, which he is producing with wife Nikki for Channel Four, BBC.
“The state-of-the-art production looks at popular culture, fashion, dance and Bollywood music, which forms a large part of pop music. The average Englishman has no idea of the dynamism in the music scene here,” he explains. Bedi, however, feels that although new life is breathed into the film industry every now and then, no real change has taken place in that arena. “Because of exposure to foreign media, there is a pressure to change, though.”
“All the world’s a stage,” he continues, explaining why he’s comfortable with every move, from Delhi to Mumbai, then to Hollywood and now to Europe. Bedi studied in many schools in North India, doing stints in Sherwood in Nainital and Shantiniketan and finishing at St. Stephen’s College, Delhi with history (honours). At Delhi, he worked in theatre before his career in films took off. “Delhi is my emotional home. I still dream of owning a home there. I love the stage, I love the process of acting in theatre, but unfortunately, it doesn’t pay the bills,” he shrugs.
However, Bedi is still better remembered for the romantic roles he’s played, both on stage and off it – especially in Tughlaq and Othello, both directed by Alyque Padamsee. While rehearsing for Othello, he met Nikki Vijaykar and married her subsequently. So Othello was a wonderful memory for him, right? “Yes, and the memory continues. We are still married,” he says, smiling.
And fans of the deep-voiced Bedi will be able to view him on the Bold and Beautiful this year (which he shot for three years ago), where he plays the Moroccan Prince Omar. Bedi readily agrees that roles offered to Indians in the West do tend to limit themselves to stereotypical images that Westerners have of non-Westerners.
At a recent event in Pune, for which he was invited as compere, he made an interesting statement, “Men are like mascara, they run at the slightest display of emotion.” He laughs, saying that if men also start crying, the conflicts would just increase. “I also said, men are like curling irons, they never get out of your hair. And they are like government bonds, they take so long to mature,” he says, grinning.
And what made him give this necessary piece of advice to women? “The atmosphere was getting a bit too heavy, and I wanted to lighten it. It’s good advice too. And no, I did not give the same advice to Pooja (his daughter), one’s own children never listen to counsel, do they?,” he quips.
What is it about Bedi that women find irresistible? “It’s impossible to quantify. I mean, if you look at the history of my marriages, Protima was so different from Susan, who is so different from Nikki. It really comes down to chemistry and that is what becomes the attraction,” he says.
And what is it about women that the much-married Bedi finds irresistible? “I really can’t say. If I say anything, I’ll be damned. It’s like someone asking, Have you stopped beating your wife. Whether I say yes or no, either way, it’s the wrong answer,” he laughs.
