India’s first international star and veteran actor Kabir Bedi has launched the book cover of his forthcoming memoir “Stories I Must Tell: The Emotional Life Of An Actor”. The cover was digitally launched by actor Salman Khan on Facebook on Wednesday.
The book is an unusually candid and compelling memoir of a man who holds nothing back, in love or in storytelling. It is the story of a middle-class boy from Delhi whose career now spans the globe. Equally, it is the tale of how he survived the roller-coaster journey of the making, unmaking and remaking of him as a person.
As Kabir bares his soul, the stories come tumbling out. That first magical encounter with the Beatles as a student in Delhi. The sudden move to Bombay, away from home, friends and college. His exciting years in advertising, his extraordinarily successful career abroad and his many painful setbacks. His relationships with the irrepressible Protima Bedi and the dazzling Parveen Babi that changed the course of his life. Of the scars they left, and the trauma of three divorces, and how he finally found fulfilment. And why his beliefs have changed.
These are tumultuous stories set in Hollywood, Bollywood and Europe. The joys of blazing new trails abroad, and the dangers of them. He also tells the fascinating love story of his Indian father, a philosopher in Europe, and his British-born mother, the world’s highest-ranked Buddhist nun. And most poignant of all, the battle to save his schizophrenic son.
In his interaction with Salman, Kabir narrated a series of fascinating anecdotes that he has penned in the book. One of the most memorable is the story of his interviewing The Beatles which was a turning point in his career, making the shift from a career in All India Radio to advertising to theatre and finally foraying into the world of cinema.
He also remembered his parents who were remarkable spiritual figures.
“Stories I Must Tell, is about the highs and lows of Kabir Bedi’s professional and personal life, his tumultuous relationships, including marriage and divorce, why his beliefs have changed, his wrenching setbacks, his exciting days in India, Europe, and Hollywood, and how he made India proud.
In fact, the actor has told the story of his life "with raw emotional honesty" in his memoir which will be published this April.
Bedi started from Bollywood, worked in Hollywood, and became a star in Europe. Internationally, he was the villain in the James Bond film "Octopussy", and starred in "The Bold and the Beautiful". In Europe, his "Sandokan" series broke many television viewership records.
His first Hindi film was Kachche Dhaage where he played the role of a ‘Daku’ against the hero Dharmendra. The film was a super duper hit. He has acted in over 65 Hindi movies, including "Khoon Bhari Maang", "Main Hoon Na" and "Mohenjo Daro". He starred with Michael Caine in "Ashanti", and Roddy McDowell in "Thief of Baghdad".
He played the title role in the Italian film "The Black Pirate" (Il Corsaro Nero). On American television, Bedi has acted in popular series like "Highlander", "Murder She Wrote", "Magnum P.I." and "Dynasty", and many HBO mini-series.
On stage, he starred in John Murrell's "TAJ" at the Luminato Festival in Canada, and M M Kaye's "Far Pavilions" in London's West End.
Playing the role of a flamboyant and colourful, romantic South East Asian Pirate during British Colonial times, the Italian-German-French TV series broke all viewership records across Europe and catapulted Kabir Bedi as the new Super Star in Europe! From 1977 till today, he remains a hugely loved and popular Star in Europe – especially Italy – which he considers his second home and returns to frequently for assignments.
During his period of stardom, Kabir has always been in ‘oshosannidhi’ (Osho), “Osho is one of India’s greatest mystics…. I see him as one of the world’s great teachers, thinkers, philosophers and guides of our times. I have enormous respect for his world vision and the kind of International Communities he is building. I have always felt his influence in my life.”
