Actor Kabir Bedi turned 75 this year. A lot like Amitabh Bachchan, or you could argue even better, his baritone, charming physique and features, along with his captivating personality have been instrumental to Kabir’s massive universal appeal, at least in the west. His career spans over three continents (North America, Europe and Asia) in films, TV and theatre in London.
Little do people know that he was the first Indian journalist (at All India Radio, which infamously rejected Bachchan's voice) to interview The Beatles, the recording of which was overwritten by AIR due to shortage of tapes, not knowing what Bedi had achieved by managing to interview the band.
At 75, Kabir has released his memoir - Stories I Must Tell which encompasses his life’s journey from being a 21-year-old journalist to being friends with the Gandhis, and his tryst with relationships, not once, but multiple times.
In an exclusive interview with Asian Voice over an hour-long Zoom call, Bedi answered some interesting questions for our readers. Here are some excerpts:
What makes you immensely popular in the west, Kabir?
Well, thank you for that. I mean, my career has spanned three continents and Hollywood, Bollywood, Europe. And I've done a lot of work in all three industries. So a lot of people know me. No one has seen all my work because different people see different things. In India to see more of my Bollywood films in Europe, the C model my Italian series in America see my American series of big soap operas like the bold and beautiful and the bond, film, etc, which got me a lot of international fans. But I think today, there's a lot of actors making major waves like Priyanka Chopra certainly comes to mind as one who has become very popular and very successful. And I adore her, I'm so proud of the success because it's, it's something that makes India proud. And she, she launched my book. So I have a lot of reasons today. Thanks for the presentation, been a wonderful friend. And I'm proud of our success.
As an artist over the years, what do you think is the major shift that you see in cinema now?
Well Shefali, obviously, cinema has evolved since the 60s-70s. And it has evolved in many ways technologically for one, in terms of speed to the stars for to in terms of the breadth of subjects you're covering today in terms of the budgets given to films. So a lot of obvious changes are there. But I think what's happened in Hollywood is that because they're playing to word audiences, they have doubled down on their franchises, and really want to make films that are proven successes over and over again. Right, so that's the Hollywood model.
The Bollywood model has also evolved, we still have the importance of song and dance in Indian film as an art form that we have created in our commercial cinema is nothing to be laughed at or sneeze data look down on we do it better than anybody in the world. And we've really taken that to another level altogether.
India has been doing MTV videos long before MTV even existed, you know, so the content, but what's happened here is that there's a whole generation of young directors that come along that are doing more realistic films, films that are touching things in a very humane.
I think the most exciting development, certainly in the century, has been the rise of streaming platforms because they bring together cinema and television in a way that no platform has ever brought them together. They cut through the need for people going to cinemas, they bring the screen into your home. They cut through geographies, you can see worldwide television series in a binge-watch. So the nature of watching films, and the opportunity to watch different films, has suddenly increased exponentially. And therefore, it is going to affect all filmmakers in Bollywood, Hollywood or Europe. Because when people have access to the best of cinema and TV and miniseries long-form series, at the push of a button, they're not going to accept what's been dished out to them in a closed market by a closed group of people.
So there isn't a globalisation film that's happening, which is absolutely fantastic. And I think the most exciting time to film is going to come out of this confluence of cinema television, long-form and short-form television series that the OTT platforms are creating. It's a very exciting time because you know, the OTT platforms have suddenly given work to many good directors that couldn't finance their films earlier.
So it's a real revolution that we are watching. This is a time of revolution in cinema, and television, and all the audiovisual arts all at once.
You've fallen in love multiple times. What would you tell millennials about the institution of marriage and companionship?
Let me say there's nothing wrong with being single. There's nothing wrong with being married and leading a married life. There's nothing wrong with choosing to have relationships as and when they come up. There are no absolutes on this, you know, we're talking about human beings, each of their needs, each with their aspirations, each, each having different emotions, each being different emotional beings that are trying to find happiness. Ultimately, I was trying to find happiness. So rather than think of, oh, I don't want to make a commitment. I don't want to get married, think about not what's popular, what your peers are saying. Think about what you really like, and set your mind on it. Because what happens sometimes is that, you know, you make a decision. And then the execution of that once you say, ‘Okay, I want to get married’, then you marry the first person.
That's not the way to do it. The most important decision you can take in life is who is going to be the mother or father of your children. In other words, who would be the best companion for you? And secondly, how do you plan to make a living? And does it resonate for you? You know, sometimes it's better to settle for less money, even if you get sadder if you get more satisfaction because ultimately, it's your life is not all about making the fattest paycheck. It's not all about getting the most beautiful girl, woman or man. It's about finding the right companion and finding the right job.
If you sort these out, more than 50% of your problems will disappear. We have to find the people who can share that journey with us. And I believe in sharing a journey. Which is why I've got married so many times. Because I think it's wonderful to be able to share your life with somebody who you love.
What would you tell the diaspora kids to watch to know Indian cinema better?
I'm really not good at making lists. But if you see the films like the wonderful epics of Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Rakesh Omprakash Mehra, Zoya’s Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and all these young not so young now but new generation directors that are making films that reflect contemporary India while giving you Bollywood entertainment. Don't waste your time researching every film that's ever made. Go to the lists, go to IMDb see the rating and chose the film you see carefully.
I think people should explore India not just through cinema, but also through books. If you want to know more about mythology and do it in a fun way, as always, I'm used to partying with Ashwin Sanghi used to write these wonderful books. There's Amitav Gosh whose writing is very elegant.
So I'm saying, cinema is not the only way of exploring India. We have some wonderful artists, we have some wonderful performances in terms of our classical dance and music as well. Those are the true roots, and the true beauty of India.
I feel today in a world where everyone is very time-challenged, that they need to know what is going on by discovering, but they also need to know how we all got here. This is why my book, the dedication, my book is to all young professionals like my son's enough because these young people need to know what it was like to be alive in the 60s with the most exciting decade of the last century. And all the 60s connotes the flower power of the counterculture movements. I hope we can all meet up someday when travel is easier. And happier time brings us together.
