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Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable: Kabir Bedi’s mantra for his memoir

Arundhati Mukherjee

Celebrated Global Indian actor Kabir Bedi’s memoir ‘Stories I Must Tell: The Emotional Life of an Actor’ was launched in the UK at the Nehru Centre in London last week. The online event was hosted by the renowned novelist and Director of The Nehru Centre, Amish Tripathi.

In the autobiography, Bedi shares his journey and life experiences – his “tragedies and triumphs”. Behind-the-scenes stories of his uniquely magnificent career, spanning over three continents, can be found in this book. Apart from his professional journey, Bedi has also shared his personal life, complicated relationships, heartbreaks.

During the event, the actor-turned-author reminisced about his interview with The Beatles while working with All India Radio. Today looking back, he said it feels like a turning point in his career. It made him leave the comfort of Delhi life to explore the uncharted territories of advertising, theatre and finally, the Mumbai film industry.

An immersive conversation between Tripathi and the notable actor brought out many such untold stories from the book’s pages. Bedi shared that while writing the book, he reminded himself: “Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable.”

When Amish pointedly asked: “How did you find the balance to be graciously honest?” He replied that he never felt vindictive, even when a relationship did not work out. A frank autobiography that does not bring any negative repercussions on anyone involved will surely be a refreshing read, especially during these tragic times.

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During the interview, the actor behind productions such as the James Bond 1983 flick ‘Octopussy’, popular European series ‘Sandokan’ and several Bollywood outings, most recently in ‘Sahib, Biwi Aur Gangster 3’, candidly talks about his bankruptcy in Hollywood. When the lifestyle and “the bill stays constant, but the inflowing money gets irregular… and the humiliation it causes for a celebrity!” One can get a glimpse of how he must have opened up his heart in his autobiography.

The free-wheeling chat took a different turn when Amish, although visibly uncomfortable, had to bring up the chapter of the book where Bedi has narrated the untimely death of his son. In his signature deep baritone voice, Kabir replied: “…it is an absolutely wrenching journey.”

In India, the book had been officially launched by Priyanka Chopra Jonas back in April.

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