Now I am Better Known as an Anchor than an Actor - Mandira Bedi

Profile and interview by Richard Lasrado

September 20, 2006
 

For many, she is a femme fatale of the small screen or the cricket world. Many of her die-hard fans consider her an essential oomph girl. For commoners she is simply a changi kudi Punjab di (Pretty girl from Punjab).
 
It is not uncommon to hear comments from the female viewers' domain that she tends to be more loquacious than necessary at the Extraa Innings cricket sessions. But her staunch fans would consider such views only as an upshot of envious admiration.
 
Having spent some hours in the company of svelte cricket-loving diva Mandira Bedi as we shuttled between the Gully cricket venues in Mangalore and the hotel they stayed in, travelling in the same car with Charu Sharma, another adorable cricket anchor, one could not help getting floored by her ebulliently fun-loving nature.
She is certainly the one who would invite from her fans affectionate chants of Oye, Bubbly! (with apologies to Pepsi and their frightfully creative copywriters).
 
Mandira Bedi is an Indian Bollywood actor, who shot to international fame as a television presenter during the 2003 Cricket World Cup. She was particularly noted for the variety of wardrobe she put on display during the WC series for the whole world to watch.
 
With all respect to the other female players in the World Cup arena and without any offence intended to them, it can be said that Mandira left longer lasting impressions on the viewers than Sandhya Mridul, Maria Goretti Khan and Ruby Bhatia, feel a majority of viewers.

With Richard Lasrado

MAX channel is reported to have registered a markedly sharp ascent in female viewership after Mandira entered the scenario.

No wonder then she has continued to be their brand ambassador, and maybe would do so for a long, long time to come.

She was born and brought up in Mumbai and is married to an Indian movie director Raj Kaushal. They live in Bandra, Mumbai.

She started her career with the title role in a TV soap serial Shanti (1995). It was UTV director Adi Pocha who spotted her and cast her in the serial. In Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, she made a foray into the silver screen. She did a negative role as Dr Mandira Kapadia in the agonizingly long-drawn TV serial, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi.
In 2004, she did a Tamil movie called Manmadhan.
 
Mandira's glamour image was noticed when she joined the Extraa Innings team. On the one hand, she was hailed for bringing in an element of glamour when the game was getting a bit boring; on the other, there were jibes about her 'overdoing' it, her attire included.

Then she appeared on the reality show, Fame Gurukul which ended in October 2005. Later, she replaced R Madhavan in Deal ya No Deal, but exited from it after some time.
 
Mandira got married to film-maker Raj Kaushal on the Valentine's Day a few years ago. They are distinctly different from each other. Yet the bond they have cemented between them has withstood the test of time and challenges of individual careers, including staying away from each other on long durations.
 
By her own admission, Mandira seems to know what attracted her to the man of her dreams. Mandira's last release was Shaadi ka Laddoo, which was her husband Raj Kaushal's project with Sanjay Suri, Ashish Chowdhury and Samita Bangargi.
 
Viewers felt it could be a foil of the lighter side of their own marriage. The dilemma of married and unmarried men is vividly portrayed in the movie.
 
In Manmadhan she played the role of a psychiatrist and gave a realistic performance, according to critics. In the extra-curricular territory, she did a splendid job in winning the Fear Factor championship. With Extraa Innings, her assignment was to bring in the women audiences. Viewers, especially housewives, know her well, having been exposed to her histrionics in Shanti.
 
So she feels the element of curiosity too would make the housewives switch over to the cricket sessions on Max channel.
 
She is not nervous either and firmly believes that her spontaneity has been holding her in good stead. More stress is laid on cricket-related opinions.
 
Since it is a 'live' show, there are no takes and retakes. Any goof-up could prove expensive and she does her homework properly in advance, she says.
 

She has been once chosen as the Asmi Woman of the Year by the Diamond Trading Company (DTC).

She, for a year, played a vital role in the marketing and promotional activities of the Asmi brand. The firm felt that she was a perfect fit for the brand.

She, the firm also felt, was an epitome of what an Asmi woman ought to be - possessing all that is synonymous with the essence of a woman - being passionate, feminine and beautiful, all of which they found in Mandira.
 
What has made her click as a model, actor in TV serials and cricket anchor is her ability to establish a rapport with the viewers with her instant wit and inimitable spontaneity.
 
She arrived in Mangalore on Friday, September 15 in the company of Charu Sharma - who needs no introduction - to play Gully Cricket at two venues - The Women's Polytechnic in Bondel and MV Shetty College in Gandhinagar- Kavoor.

They got cracking immediately upon arrival, by addressing a media meet.

Richard, Charu and Mandira

An advance appointment through Setindia's senior vice president and business head Albert Almeida - who has his family roots in Mangalore - and public relations consultant Monika Bhattacharyya a day earlier from Mumbai made things easier and gave me an opportunity to travel with them from venue to venue and then back to the city. And that was the only way I could get a fair chance to interview both Charu and Mandira extensively!
 
Excerpts from Mandira Bedi's interview:
 
Tell us about your professional career.
 
As you know, I started with the TV serial Shanti, then there was Aurat. Later on I was part of Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi.

You played a negative role - that of Dr Mandira Kapadia, the 'other' woman in 'Kyunki....'.

Yes, that was a negative role. I did not take up any negative role ever since, and perhaps may not hence as well. Thereafter, I was busy with the World Cup, followed by a phone-in show on TV called Dial-One. Then came a longer show called Fame Gurukul and after that Deal Ya No Deal.
 
While on the subject of these reality shows, esp. in 'Fame Gurukul', the aspirants used to turn up and compete and when some of them lost, they would not accept defeat in a spirit of the game; instead they would crumble and break down as if it was the end of the world. How did you handle those emotional moments?
 
I am a terribly emotional person. When some of the contestants were voted out, I really took it to heart. In some cases, even I cried. Even in the show Deal Ya No Deal there were contestants who came with high hopes of winning a lot money to take care of some family expenses, someone's surgery or with a lots of loans on their heads. And those who needed it most were voted out. That was really heart-breaking. I am emotional also while the game of cricket is on and when my country plays.
 
In the reality shows, there were competent and eminent judges to evaluate the performances. But sometimes, the deserving ones were voted out by virtue of the nationwide SMS voting system. Was it a fair method, in that there were chances of manipulation by candidates by ensuring that thousands of SMS messages were sent from different places in their favour?
 
No, there was no chance of manipulation because there were chartered accountancy firms to monitor this voting system. They ensure that there is absolutely no chance of rigging. And speaking about disappointment, there are some celebrities taking part in some of the shows these days. They may have their wins and losses, but they have to accept it. Everyone cannot be a winner. Some have to lose.
 
Coming back to cricket again, how did the passion for cricket grow in you? Is it a recent development or did it take roots long ago?
 
I used to take keen interest in cricket when my father and brother were watching cricket. They are ardent and hardcore audience of the game. I have grown up in that atmosphere and have developed this passion for the game for a long time now. But I never ever imagined that some day I would sit among the panel commenting on the game.
 
While you were commenting on cricket, there was a bit of negative criticism, pointing at the 'spaghetti' or 'noodle-strap' element in your wardrobe than your skills in commenting. Could it be because you were 'infringing' upon an essentially male domain of commentators?
 
I won't take it that way. At the same time, I wore just what was 'in' or fashionable and there was no other purpose. If it took precedence over the subject of cricket, it is just sad.
 
With this kind of interest in the game, wouldn't you have joined a women's cricket team to become another Shanta Rangaswamy, or Diana Eduljee or Anjum Chopra?
 
Oh God, I am really upset that my mom didn't allow me to join coaching classes in cricket, while she allowed only my brother.
 
Do you think that your acting career has been hampered by your taking up anchoring in cricket?

Not exactly. I am still getting acting offers. But now I am occupied with the ensuing cricket series. People have now accepted me as an anchor rather than an actor.
 
How did you find the response to the Gully Cricket in Mangalore?
 
It was just great. It was held in a much more organized way here. The crowd just loved the game.
 
But both you and Charu got mobbed as well, making it difficult for you to move around.

Yes, but that was after the game got over. Until then everything went on well. The fan following is just natural. But this is the third centre we are playing in. When we played in the earlier two centres, the crowd gathered just close to the pitch. We were scared if they would get hurt. But here, people kept a safe distance and only at the end they wanted us to mingle with them.
 
Is this your first visit to Mangalore?

No, it is the second. I was here once earlier to attend a wedding. But I flew back to Mumbai immediately because of preoccupations. Today I am looking forward to tasting some lovely Mangalorean food and would like to visit this place again.
 

Interview with Singer KK

'What One Heard in 1980s was Not Music, Melody is Now Returning' - Singer KK

By Richard Lasrado

A Kandid Konversation with KK

November 25, 2006

In the first place it was his very first visit and concert in Mangalore. So he had to be in his elements.

But, what with the bad throat that nagged him during the earlier few days and a minor, yet inconvenient, headache that bothered him after travelling from Pune to Mumbai as part of the concert circuit on behalf of Seagram Imperial Blue, he would have loved not to be disturbed.

Yet, as agreed with us through the firm's public relations personnel on the previous day, Krishnakumar Kunnath would stick to the arrangement.

As we walk into his hotel suite soon after he addressed the press conference at the Taj Manjarun in the city a few hours before the concert on Thursday, November 23, KK appears as fresh as ever. 'Please try to wind up as early as possible,' - the team members' inhibitive caution greets us.

'So, here we go,' we said.

Excerpts from the conversation:

Tell us about KK.

KK stands for Krishnakumar Kunnath and my parents' names are C S Nair and Kanakavalli. My family roots are in Kerala and Kunnath is my mother's house name. I am a Malayali but I was born and educated in Delhi.

In spite of it, you seem to speak Malayalam so fluently. How did you manage it?

Probably I learnt it by conversing with my grandmother regularly at home.

You married your childhood friend Jyothy. Tell us about your family.

You are right. We know each other for 26 years, since 1980. We have a son and a daughter.

You have sung in different languages like Telugu, Tamil and Kannada. How did you manage with the different dictions?

Having the south Indian background has helped me the diction in different languages. Morever, I really take time to ensure that I get the diction and the song perfectly.

Your very first stage performance was the rendition of that ABBA hit, "Fernando", when you were studying in Class IX. How come you steadily pursued Hindi music?

English albums made in India may have a limited appeal and reach.

How did you discover yourself as a song-writer?

Honestly, I have had no formal training in music. Somehow I have been born with this musical flair. Tunes just flow out.

Tell us about your musical career and how it progressed.

It was 1992. I was in Delhi. I started with jingles and first one - Usha the number one. Then I realized that Mumbai was the place to build a career. So I moved over. I had submitted the tracks to Louis Banks, Ranjit Barot, Shiv Mathur and Leslie Lewis and given my contact number. Those days there were no mobiles. I would call my aunt every now and then just to find out if any music director had called. I got into film playback with 'Chhod aaye hum' which I sang for 'Maachis' and then I am into concerts and playback by turns.

You have been a keen Kishore Kumar fan. Some thirty years ago, there were some greats like Mohammed Rafi saab, Mukeshji, Kishore-da, not forgetting others like Hemant Kumar, Manna Dey and Mahendra Kapoor. Each of them had a class of his own, making it difficult for music connoisseurs to try a comparison between any two of them. We do not find the same class and quality now. Any explanation?

It's true. That was a great era. (Laughs) Kya karen? Now you have to be contented with the likes of KK and others. I agree the music has lost its quality over the years. I remember the music of the 1980's. We used to get angry when we heard that brand of music. Now later the trend has changed a lot thereafter. The melody has returned to some extent.

Maybe with '1942 - A Love Story'?

Yes, that was part of the change. But perhaps 'Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak' marked the real turning point.

There have been Rafi clones and Kishore clones over the past years. Have you tried to mould yourself on the lines of any role model of yours?

The originals are always originals. They can never be matched. I have always tried to have my own identity.

You were one of the judges on the panel of 'Fame Gurukul'. Do you think there was a fair evaluation of talent or was the final result swayed away by the flood of SMSs from all over the country in favour of certain finalists. It is being talked about that the winner of Fame Gurukul show, all through the phases, kept breaking into tears, which, most people think, helped him to win public sympathy.

That perhaps was his nature. These reality shows are not real test for talent. There was so much of hype about the winners and the finalists. Not much is heard about them. Real test lies in hard work and perseverance.

What is your opinion about remixes? Musical experts say that remixes ruin the beauty and sanctity of the originals.

It's become part of the industry. Everyone knows any copy cannot match the original. You got to live with it.

A lawyer specialized in intellectual property rights says that the rights of the owner of the intellectual property are paramount. Accordingly, even public performance of another's song amounts to violation of the copyright.

It is difficult to keep track of violations in a vast country like India. Personally I feel that once you release your music on sale and circulation, you may have to accept it as public property. You can do nothing about it. If one is so possessive of his music, he has to create a CD of his own, keep it in his pocket or listen to it all alone at home.

Your own hit - the title song of your first album - 'Pal' was re-done by the Indian Idol finalists. Do you feel that full justice has been done to the original by the novices?

It was all right. I am happy that my song became popular again after a gap of full six years.

The song 'Pal' is so inspiring and touching. Did you write the lyrics?

No, the score was mine. But Mehboob wrote the lyrics. He is writing the lyrics for my second album expected to come out soon.

This is our farmaaish: Will you sing it for us tonight?

If you are present at the show, I will certainly sing it for you.

Any most memorable incident during your shows which could be shared with us?

There are many. But the one that has touched me most was when a senior gentleman of about 65 came to see me after a show and said when he heard me he missed Kishore a little less. That was a great moment for me.

How do you expect your very first concert here in Mangalore to go on?

It was to happen much earlier and was planned on two or three occasions, but somehow it did not work out. Now that we are here finally, we will go all out to entertain the gathering. There is only one worry about a possible shower.

Our prayers are with you, not to be troubled by rain.

Great. We will do full justice to your wishes.

Mangalore is a music-crazy city. What is your message to your fans and music-lovers of the city?

Wonderful. Let's all go crazy together !

Tarun Tejpal - an intrepid investigator who makes waves

A profile and an exclusive interview by Richard Lasrado Photo: Ahmed Anwar August 1, 2003 "Tehelka" is a terminology which was heard only in Bollywood movie dialogues until the turn of the new millennium, with someone macho like Dharmendra vowing with a chilling shriek, "Main aisa tehelka machaa ke rakh doonga…" and that said it all. It remained within the portals of movie histrionics and rhetoric, until the web portal www.tehelka.com really happened just over two years ago. And, ever since, things never really have seemed to be the same like before. In whatever way one looked at it. Of all persons, Tarun J Tejpal, the editor-in-chief of the portal, should know better. Because he has not just seen the worse, but has gone through the worst. Ever since the portal made an eight-month-long investigation into defence deals which brought several skeletons out of the ministry's cupboards, every effort has been made to browbeat the Tehelka team. Some of them have been jailed on flimsy charges, their office has been raided by various government agencies several times and their investors' business has been ruined. In the given circumstances, anyone else would have crumbled and faded out. But not Tarun Tejpal. None other than the present union home minister Lal Kishan Advani had commented on the conduct of a majority of the press in India during the days of the infamous Emergency - "when they were asked to bend, they chose to crawl". He said so with a blend of wit and sarcasm of a Churchillian kind. It is a different matter if he said that after the Emergency was lifted. But both Tarun Tejpal and Advaniji know that we are certainly not living in an Emergency ambience now. Yet what has happened in the recent past vis-à-vis Tehelka is perilously close in resemblance to and patently reminiscent of the events of those dark days. The atmosphere is hazy with accusations and different versions flinging around. The union government was awfully embarrassed. Defence minister George Fernandes resigned. The Venkataswami Commission was appointed to make an enquiry. However, ultimately the focus was more on Tehelka's antecedents, motives and the sources of finance. No defence officials were summoned. Just as Ram Jethmalani's cross-examination of witnesses began, it was realized that the report was going to be very adverse. Immediately the judge was shunted out on a different assignment. The report was to be out shortly. But nothing has happened since. When it was found that the defence officials were cooperating very well with the enquiry in his absence, the defence minister was promptly put back in his seat. The official steps have been only a warning to everyone - don't you dare to do such things, and don't you even dare to invest in enterprises of Tehelka's kind. Come a close encounter with Tarun, all these things become clear. Crystal-clear at that. How a small group of public-spirited individuals is pitted against the might and juggernaut of the propaganda machinery of the establishment has perhaps only one parallel in history. That of David and Goliath. At the bottom of it all, the fact stares you in the face. Tarun Tejpal is made of a different stuff. The outer appearance of an elite Delhiite is combined with inherent ethnic, inborn strength and mettle found, say, in an essential, characteristic Punjabi. "When the going gets tough, the tough get going," is the saying that fits him best. Tarun Tejpal is a journalist and publisher. In a 20-year career, he has been an editor with India Today and the Indian Express groups, and the managing editor of Outlook, India's premier newsmagazine. He has also written for several international publications, including The Paris Review, The Guardian, The Financial Times and Prospect. In March 2000, he left Outlook to start Tehelka.com - a news-and-views magazine on the Net that has broken ground with its sting investigations. In 2001, Asiaweek listed Tejpal as one of Asia's 50 most powerful communicators, and Businessweek declared him among 50 leaders at the forefront of change in Asia. Tehelka has garnered world-wide acclaim for its journalism, and is seen as one of the seminal web sites of world media. Khushwant Singh and Sir V S Naipaul are on Tehelka's advisory board.

Tarun Tejpal being interviewed by Richard Lasrado Excerpts from the interview: Tell us about Tehelka: Although 'Tehelka' also means sensation, I use it in the sense of 'making waves'. And make waves it did. It exposed a lot of cases of corruption ever since it was set up in 2000. One of your first exposes was on match-fixing in cricket. But, later on, the image of Manoj Prabhakar himself was at stake. Has that episode affected you? Manoj's image might have suffered. Tehelka had nothing to do with it. We are satisfied that our expose was followed by many other match-fixing cases coming to light. After you exposed the defence deal scams, the propaganda machinery of the establishment has run you down on two counts, thereby pushing the issue of corruption to the backburner. One, that the morale of our armed forces was compromised. Two, that you used the unethical means of employing women of dubious repute to achieve your goal of pursuing the truth. Firstly, it was not a generalization. We only exposed what was going on in the defence deals. I am the son of an army officer myself and I have great respect for our armed forces. But I have come across the fact that our soldiers guarding our borders in extremely harsh conditions in Kargil and Siachen are getting a pittance of salary like Rs 3000 to 10,000, while some top defence officials sitting in Delhi have fattened themselves through kickbacks in defence deals. I only wanted our people to know this. There is no question of bringing the morale down. Secondly, on the subject of using those women, first I was not aware of it, when my two colleagues used the ploy. The truth had to come out. Later, I apologized for it. But I started getting hate mail over and over. Everyone asked: "What do you have to apologize for? Let the fellows be damned!" There are thousands of people in the country who feel that if it weren't for the method used, the truth would never have come out. What is the main message you have driven home with your investigations into the defence deals? More than the scam part of the defence deals, I am emphasizing on the ethics of party funding that has been going on through such deals. We have managed to bring out the systemic malaise in broad view. What are the bitter lessons you have learnt post-Tehelka? Anyone would have asked himself the same question - "Why should you do the right thing if the price you pay is extinction?". Yet I pursued the campaign for truth. The actions against us were particularly alarming because they emanated from the very same persons who fought for the freedom of expression during the Emergency period of 1975-77. If that was the downside of the whole story, there was the upside. During the last one-and-a-half-year period, in my efforts to garner support for my proposed weekly, I have come to know of common people's unremitting love and affection that I have earned because of my fight against corruption in high places. Besides, eminent legal luminaries like Ram Jethmalani, Kapil Sibal, Prashant Bhushan and others have defended us in courts without charging a Rupee. In spite of having been through the mill, you haven't crumbled. What has given you such moral fibre? The support which I have received from my family and friends has kept me going. Besides, wherever I have been in India, people have spontaneously appreciated our work in bringing out the corrupt deals. The love and goodwill I have earned from the general public is my greatest strength. Your critics say your campaign was politically motivated. That is untrue. I have been stressing on the same point for the last two years. I am not anti-BJP or anti-Congress. Even if the Congress party was in power, we would have exposed the bare truth the same way. On the other hand, the campaign that has been going on against us is a political vendetta. After having antagonized the powers-that-be, have you found any threat to your life? Aisa kuchh mehsoos ho raha hai ki aap ki jaan khatre me hai? Not at all. I am not scared even a wee bit. I am standing for truth so I feel safe. Can you tell us about the vision and mission of your proposed weekly "Tehelka - The People's Paper"? It will take journalism back to the values of 1980's. It was at that point that things had changed under former prime minister Indira Gandhi. The press was expected to be the handmaid of the government. The imposition of the Emergency changed the whole perspective in that it was realized in fact the press had to play the role of the opposition. I regard the freedom of expression as a dominant impulse and want to do away with the manager-owner vs. editor equation thereby laying the stress on the decision-making being invested with the editor. It will be a creative media platform. It will stand for transparency and ethics. It will be aligned only to the people's good. We have on our advisory board eminent personalities like Mark Tully, Swami Agnivesh, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Julio Ribeiro and others. How are you going to manage the economics of it, when it is very clear that setting up a weekly magazine would entail multi-crore funding? I was offered 20 crore to start the paper. But I declined it. This weekly will not have any political or business affiliation. Currently I am travelling across the country and collecting money from the people only in the form of advance subscriptions. About 80 individuals have offered Rs 1 lac each. Those intending to subscribe can SMS "Yes" to 3636 from their mobiles and they will be contacted soon after. They can e-mail to: editor@tehelka.com also. What ails us Indians in general? What is your message to your compatriots? Perhaps there is a lack of sense of greater social good. At the time of independence, the institutions that formed the body politic of our country were gifted to us. For one, I believe that all institutions have to be created by us through a collective effort. Rule of law and individual right are the pillars of our society. We have to protect our families and the future generations from the abuses of power and abuses of money. The onus of responsibility now lies with the affluent and powerful. Everyone should contribute to the process of change. There has been a steady fall in the quality of leadership. Crooks network very well together. But the good stand in a corner and complain. Then there is the disjunction between those who think and those who act. As a result, there has been a general feeling that success and integrity don't go together. I am not a Gandhian, but I would like to stress on the four tenets propagated by the Mahatma, namely, Non-violence, Tolerance, Compassion and a Sense of Humour. Who is your role model in leadership? I would rate only Nelson Mandela as a world-class leader. Which are the events that have shaken India's political structure? In my opinion, the anti-Sikh riots of 1984 and the Gujarat carnage of 2002 are the worst incidents. Are you still continuing your intellectual pursuits like literature? Honestly, for the last two years, I have been reading only the legal affidavits. How did you like Mangalore and Udupi? This is a lovely place. I have earned a lot of new friends during this single visit.