He was out of the country for three long years, occupied with an Italian TV series —Un Medico in Famiglia (A Doctor in the Family). He is back on home terrain to compere Director’s Cut on Zoom TV, onto which he will rub off some of his flamboyance, charisma and intellect. Says Kabir Bedi: “The programme will showcase 13 celebrious Indian filmmakers. It will tell remarkable stories of how these men have become what they are. Most of them have come from non-film backgrounds, yet made it big. We will learn all about their journey to success and the obstacles that they have overcome in the process.”
Bedi has been a part of a multitude of international productions, an unforgettable one being the Bond film Octopussy. “The set-up there is quite different from the one here. People are ‘over-organised’ in Bollywood. It takes less than two years for them to come out with a movie, whereas abroad, they spend as much as two years only on pre-production. The fact remains that Bollywood comes out with the most number of movies in a year. So we must be doing something right”, he laughs.
Who according to him is best-suited for the role of James Bond? “For me, the quintessential and eternal James Bond will be Sean Connery. Daniel Craig is best among the recent contenders”, says he.
Kabir is emphatic about accepting an offer to act in forthcoming Bond films if the opportunity arises, but what he honestly believes is, “It is rare that you get a chance like that again! Once you act in a Bond film, you become part of the Bond mythology. It is difficult to beat yourself in a role after you have already made an impact,” he says.
Are there any roles that he wishes he had played? “Everytime I see an actor my age give a good performance, I wish that I had landed the role instead,” smiles Kabir who lost out on being in The Far Pavilions (a role that went to Omar Sharif) since he was tied to the Bond film at the time. “I have taken my revenge by being involved in a play based on the film,” winks Kabir whose ambition is to turn film producer and director, and dole out ventures that are India-centric.
Kabir has been an active voting member of Oscars Academy for 30 years now. Ask him how fair the voting process is, and he is quick to respond, “The integrity of the Oscars Academy is impeccable. Hollywood is a small place. Any attempt to influence the vote in an illegal way would be impossible to hide. It is too valuable a position for a member to jeopardise by acting unethically”.
On Indian entries to the Oscars, he says: “The Indian films that are sent are good, but the question is, are they likely to win an Oscar? Most of them are not suitable for the venue. And the suitable ones are not selected as entries. I question whether the people making these decisions are qualified to be the best judges of these matters. They probably are executing judgement to the best of their discretion, but better films have to be sent”.
There’s more to Kabir than work. “I travel... I am reviving my passion for photography... writing is another thing that brings me joy. I am currently working on a book... stories from my life,” he reveals.
On ageing gracefully, he says, “I don’t think one should age gracefully. You should fight ageing in every way you can. Ageing is not a nice thing. It slows you down. It has to be fought with diet and exercise.”
On his relationships... “Those that have ended have ended with responsibilities fulfiled on my part, and in friendship wherever it has been possible. I am quite at peace with how my relationships were blown up in bold by the media. I guess all that comes with the territory. There’s always an ongoing battle between a celebrity’s privacy and the Press’s right to know. It is not about two competing rights, but about two competing desires. The media will never come to know all that it wishes to about a celebrity and a celebrity will never be able to hide all that he wants from the media,” says Bedi in conclusion.
