A 17-year association with the entertainment industry behind her, Mandira Bedi’s success didn’t come overnight. It has taken years of dabbling in various forms like theatre, television and cinema for Mandira to carve a niche for herself. Recently in town for Ballantine’s Salt and Pepper , Mandira gets talking about her career so far and acknowledges both the ups and downs that she has faced.
“I have done a lot of fascinating things, I started off on a daily soap ( Shanti ) and did a negative role ( Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi ) and with eight years of cricket anchoring, I got into theatre as well,” she laughs. Mandira feels at home with theatre and loves the rush of a live audience.
“You have to think on your feet,” she says. However, there isn’t one complete genre that Mandira associates with, in fact she plumes herself on having a foot in everything.
“I could be hosting a show, doing a movie or working in television serials, I am game for anything,” she says and clarifies that she would like to work on something of actual substance.
Mandira realises that television isn’t what it used to be. Television programmes have undergone a sea change. She recalls her experiences with Shanti , “When the show came out, things were different.
It was the first of its kind and it captured everyone’s mind. It had all the ingredients working in its favour.” Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi , too she feels was different for its time but when 50 other shows started springing up with similar premises, it lost its charm, feels Mandira. “Good television is how well you break the clutter. If you’re going to do the same thing, then its not good television,” says Mandira. It is because of this that Mandira isn’t making her appearances on television.
“I want something like Shanti to come again. It was a fantastic character. The woman was aggressive and passionate. I want to do a role like that,” says Mandira.
She is currently busy with Atul Agnihotri’s next production which will be a political satire. “I also got a call for a few item numbers and films down south, I am thinking about,” she smiles.
