Kabir Bedi
Kabir Bedi at the launch of a film in 2009.
Born	(1946-01-16) January 16, 1946 (age 66) Punjab, India
Occupation	Actor, Television presenter
Years active	1971–present
Spouse	Protima Bedi (divorced) Susan Humphreys (divorced) Nikki Bedi (divorced)

Kabir Bedi (Punjabi: ਕਬੀਰ ਬੇਦੀ) is an Indian television and film actor. His career has spanned three continents including India, the United States and many European countries in three mediums: film, television and theatre. He is noted for his role as Emperor Shah Jahan in Taj Mahal: An Eternal Love Story. He is best known in Europe for playing the pirate Sandokan in the highly popular TV mini series and for his role as the villainous Gobinda in the 1983 James Bond film Octopussy. He is very popular in Italy in particular, and is fluent in Italian.

Kabir Bedi is based in India and lives in Mumbai.

Biography[link]

Early life[link]

Bedi was one of three children born into a family that had devoted itself to India's fight for independence from British colonial rule. His British mother, Freda Bedi, later converted to Tibetan Buddhism.^[1] His father, Baba Pyare Lal Bedi, a Punjabi Sikh, was an author and philosopher.Kabir Bedi did his schooling at Sherwood College, Nainital, and graduation from St. Stephen's College, Delhi.

Personal life[link]

Bedi married three times and has three children, Pooja, Siddharth and Adam. He was married to Protima Bedi, an Odissi dancer. Their daughter Pooja Bedi grew up to be an actress in Hindi films. She is now a magazine/newspaper columnist^{[dated info]}. Their son, Siddharth, who went to university in the USA, had a long history of schizophrenia and committed suicide in 1997 at the age of 26.

As his marriage with Protima began to break down he famously started a relationship with Parveen Babi. They never married. He later married British-born fashion designer Susan Humphreys. Their son Adam Bedi is an international model who recently made his Bollywood debut with the thriller, Hello? Kaun Hai!.^[2] This marriage ended in divorce.

In the late 1990s, Bedi married TV and radio presenter Nikki Bedi. They had no children and divorced in 2005. Since 2006, Bedi has been in a relationship with social researcher, Parveen Dusanj.^[3][4]

Kabir Bedi is a firm supporter of the freedom struggle in Burma, and has become an official ambassador of the Burma Campaign UK.^[5]

Career[link]

Kabir Bedi began his career in Indian theatre and then moved on to Hindi films. Bedi is the only international actor from India to have originated from Bollywood, worked in Hollywood, and become a big star in Europe.

Stage acting[link]

As a stage actor, Kabir has performed Shakespeare’s Othello as well as portrayed a mad historical Indian king, Tughlaq; and a self-destructive alcoholic in The Vultures. In London he also starred in The Far Pavilions, the West End musical adaptation of M. M. Kaye’s novel, at the Shaftesbury Theatre.

Film career[link]

In the James Bond film Octopussy, he played the villain's aide Gobinda who battled Roger Moore from start to finish.

Kabir has acted in over 60 Indian Bollywood films. In the historical epic Taj Mahal: An Eternal Love Story, Kabir starred as the Emperor Shah Jahan. Other starring Bollywood roles include Raj Khosla’s Kacche Dhaage, Rakesh Roshan's Khoon Bhari Maang and Farah Khan's Main Hoon Na.

Currently, Kabir is shooting with Hrithik Roshan (Kites), Govinda (Showman), and Akshay Kumar (Blue).^[6] He is also starring in Deepa Mehta's next film, Kamagata Maru with Amitabh Bachchan and John Abraham. He is presently doing a pivotal role in a Tamil film titled 'Aravaan', directed by Vasanthabalan, who is critically acclaimed for his earlier films Angaadi Theru and Veyil.

Kabir played pivotal roles in Columbia Pictures' The Beast of War, a film on the Russian war in Afghanistan, directed by Kevin Reynolds, as well as the acclaimed Italian film Andata Ritorno, by Marco Ponti, winner of the prestigious David di Donatello Award.

Television career[link]

Kabir’s has had extensive roles on American television - primetime and daytime, series and miniseries - including Hallmark’s African epic Forbidden Territory, and Ken Follett’s On Wings of Eagles and also Red Eagle. He played Friar Sands in The Lost Empire, for NBC. Kabir also played roles on Dynasty, Murder, She Wrote, Magnum, P.I., Hunter, Knight Rider and Highlander: The Series amongst others.

In Europe, his greatest success was Sandokan, the saga of a romantic Asian pirate during British colonial times; an Italian-German-French TV series which broke viewership records across Europe.^{[citation needed]}. Kabir also recently starred in a prime-time Italian television series, Un Medico In Famiglia, on RAI TV, the country's biggest broadcaster.

In an impressive performance that brought out a very different and hitherto unrevealed aspect of his acting he starred as the ancient Patriarch Abraham, both in his young as well as old age, for a special one-episode only, in the 1995 TV series Bible Ki Kahaniyan, an epic series in Doordarshan India. The series was later discontinued as a result of troubles between the producers and the sponsors.

For over a year, Kabir starred in The Bold and the Beautiful, the second most-watched television show in the world, seen by over a billion people in 149 countries.

He recently had his own cinematic talk show on Indian TV, Director's Cut, a 13-part special series interviewing the country's leading directors.

Awards and achievements[link]

Since 1982 Kabir has been a voting member of the prestigious Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, who are responsible for presenting the Oscar awards. He is also a voting member of the Screen Actors Guild.

He has also won numerous film, advertising and popularity awards across Europe and India.^[7]

By decree of the President of the Italian Republic of 2 June 2010, Kabir Bedi was officially knighted. He received the highest ranking civilian honour of the Italian Republic and was bestowed the title of "Cavaliere" (Knight) of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic.^[8]

Filmography[link]

Films[link]

• Hulchal (1971) (Released) ... Mahesh Jetley
• Seema (1971) (Released)
• Rakhi Aur Hathkadi (1972) (Released) ... Suraj
• Sazaa (1972) (Released)
• Anokha Daan (1972) (Released)
• Kachche Dhaage (1973) (Released) ... Roopa
• Yauwan (1973) (Released)
• Manzilen Aur Bhi Hain (1974) (Released)
• Maa Bahen Aur Biwi (1974) (Released)
• Ishq Ishq Ishq (1974) (Released) ... Diwana/Ravikant Vyas
• Anari (1975) (Released)
• Nagin (22 January 1976) (Released) ... Uday
• Daaku (1976) (Released)
• Harfan Maula (1976) (Released)
• Vishwasghaat (1976) (Released) ... Uday
• Daku Aur Mahatma (1977) (Released)
• Bullet (1977) (Released) ... Durga Prasad/D.P.
• The Black Corsair (1976 - Italy) (Released)
• La tigre è ancora viva: Sandokan alla riscossa! (1977)
• The Thief of Baghdad (1978) (Released)
• Ashanti (1979) ... Malik
• Aakhri Kasam (1979) (Released) ... Kishan/Badal
• Yuvraj (5 October 1979) (Released)
• 40 Days of Musa Dagh (1982) (Released) ... Gabriel Bagradian
• Octopussy (1983) (Released) ... Gobinda
• Khoon Bhari Maang (12 August 1988) (Released) ... Sanjay Verma
• Mera Shikar (1988) (Released)
• Police Public (11 May 1990) (Released) ... Senior Inspector Shah Nawaz Khan
• Haar Jeet (1990) (Released)
• Shera Shamshera (1990) (Released)
• Kurbaan (31 May 1991) (Released) ... Inspector Suraj Singh
• Yeh Aag Kab Bujhegi (19 April 1991) (Released)
• Vishkanya (1991) (Released) ... Forest Officer Vikram Singh
• Dil Aashna Hai (25 December 1992) (Released) ... Digvijay Singh
• Yalgaar (23 October 1992) (Released) ... Raj Pratap Singhal
• Beyond Justice (1992), (Released) ... Moulet
• Lambu Dada (1992) (Released)
• Kshatriya (29 March 1993) (Released) ... Thakur Ganga Singh (Police Officer)
• Yugandhar (1993) (Released)
• Salaami (18 March 1994) (Released) ... Captain
• Lie Down with Lions (12 June 1994) (Released) ... Kabir
• The Maharaja's Daughter (1994) (Released) ... Chandragupta
• OP Centre (26 February 1995) (Released) ... Abdul
• Kismat (16 June 1995) (Released) ... Rajan
• Aatank Hi Aatank (4 August 1995) (Released) ... Police Inspector
• Mashamal - Ritorno al Deserto (19 June 1998) (Released)
• Figlio di Sandokan, II (Stuck/On hold) (1998) ... Sandokan
• Kohram (13 August 1999) (Released) ... Brig. Bedi
• The Lost Empire (11 March 2001) (Released) ... Friar Sand
• Kranti (15 March 2002) (Released) ... Mahendra Pratap Rana
• Maine Dil Tujhko Diya (23 August 2002) (Released) ... Mr. Varma (Ayesha's Father)
• Talaash (3 January 2003) (Released) ... Chhote Pathan
• The Hero: Love Story of a Spy (11 April 2003) (Released) ... Mr. Zakaria
• Rudraksh (13 February 2004) (Released) ... Ved Pujan
• Asambhav (23 July 2004) (Released)
• Kismat (20 February 2004) (Released) ... Raj Mallya
• A/R Andata & Ritorno (2 April 2004) (Released) ...Tolstoj
• Main Hoon Na (30 April 2004) (Released) ... Gen. Amarjeet Bakshi
• Bewafaa (25 February 2005) (Released) ... Anjali's Father
• Taj Mahal - An Eternal Love Story (18 November 2005) (Released)
• Do Raha (2006) (Under Production)
• Jaanleva (2006) (Post-Production) ... Rakesh Khullar
• A All About Her (2006) (Stuck/On Hold)
• Take 3 Girls (2006) (Stuck/On Hold) ... Mo
• Ch@t (2007–08) (Radio Due - Italian Fiction)
• Showman (2008) (Under Production)
• Blue (2009) (Released)
• Kites (2010) (Released)
• Aravaan (2011) (Released)
• Chakravyuh(2012)
• Yaara O Dildara (2013) (Post-Production)

Television[link]

• Sandokan (1976) (European TV mini series) ... Sandokan
• La Tigre e Ancora Viva: Sandokan alla Ricosa (1977) (European TV mini series) ... Sandokan
• Dynasty (1982) (TV series) ... Farouk Ahmed
• General Hospital (1983) (TV series) ... Rama
• Knight Rider (November 1985) (TV series) ... Vascone
• Dynasty (1986) (TV series) ... Farouk Ahmed
• On Wings of Eagles (1986) (TV mini series) ... Mohammed
• The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd (May 1987) (TV series) ... Bill
• Misteri della Giungla Nera, I - aka The Mysteries of the Dark Jungle (1991) (TV mini series) ... Kammamuri
• Il Principe del Deserto - aka Desert Law (1991) ... Moulet Beni-Zair
• The Bold and the Beautiful (September 1994) (TV series) ... Prince Omar
• Maharaja's Daughter (1994) (TV mini series) ... Chandragupta
• Highlander: The Series (20 November 1995) (TV series) ... Kamir
• Bible Ki Kahaniyaan (Doordarshan India,1995) (TV series).... Abraham, the Patriarch
• Ritorno di Sandokan, II (6 October 1996) (TV mini series) ... Sandokan
• Noi siamo angeli - aka We are Angels (16 February 1997) (TV mini series) ... Gen. Napoleon Durate
• Forbidden Territory: Stanley's Search for Livingstone (7 December 1997) (TV series) ... Khamis Bin Abdullah
• Team Knight Rider (9 February 1998) (TV series) ... Aristotle Drago
• Murder She Wrote (February 1998) (TV series) ... Vikram Singh
• Magnum, P.I. (10 February 1998) (TV series) ... Malcolm
• The Bold and the Beautiful (4 May 2005) (TV series) ... Prince Omar
• Vivere (May 2006) (Italian TV Series) ... Emir Ibrahim
• Director's Cut (2007) (TV special series) ... himself
• Un Medico in Famiglia (2007) (Italian TV Series)
• Ganga Kii Dheej (2010-) (Hindi TV Series)

Voting memberships[link]

• The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (commonly known as the Oscar Academy)
• The Screen Actors Guild
• The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists
• The British Actors' Equity Association

References[link]

External links[link]

• Kabir Bedi at the Internet Movie Database
• Official website
• Fan site
• Special Feature - "Global Appeal - Kabir Bedi" in The Stage
• Images from the 1976 Sandokan miniseries
• Candid in-depth interview with Kabir Bedi in 2007
• Extensive interview with Filmfare in October 2001
• Interviewed by Indian Express in 1999