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Fact of life Kabir Bedi: ‘The life of an actor is very hard irrespective of the continent you are in’

“I came to Mumbai to be a film maker and started with ad films,” Kabir says his baritone booming down the phone. “I was the film chief in Lintas and O&M and also had my own agency, Dimension 70. Then ‘Tughlaq’ came along, followed by film offers. And I thought I should check it out…”

In a career spanning three decades and three continents, Kabir became a name to reckon with across the globe. Whether it was as the Robin Hood-like pirate in the Italian series “Sandokan”, as Prince Omar in “The Bold and the Beautiful”, as the Govinda in the James Bond film “Octopussy” or as Gen. Amarjeet Bakshi in “Main Hoon Na”, Kabir brought style and pizzazz to his roles.

Kabir is very blasé about his jet-setting work weeks. “The life of an actor is very hard irrespective of the continent you are in. It is doubly hard when you are only eligible for minority roles. I took up whatever worked for me at that point of time, whether it was Hollywood, Bollywood or European cinema. Nothing happens entirely by chance or by design. After 30 years in the industry I think I should get an Oscar for survival!”

Talking about the Bond movie experience, Kabir says: “To be part of something that is a world wide phenomenon is something else. There is a whole industry around these movies and one can only marvel at their meticulousness! If they decide that a climax should be shot in Japan, they would work backwards and make a story so as to fit the climatic battle in Japan!

It is not as if Kabir ever gave up directorial ambitions.

“In all the movies and televisions shows, I was part of, I always observed the directors carefully. That is why I enjoy hosting ‘Directors Cut’. The show gave me a chance to interact with some of the biggest names in mainstream cinema like Shekhar Kapur and Rajkumar Santoshi as well as younger directors like Anurag Kashyap and Farhan Akhtar.”

Kabir says the show “explores the director’s world and not a regular interview format; it is more like a drawing room chat. The filmmakers were also happy to be able to talk about things close to their hearts.”

Ask Kabir who was the easiest to talk to and he laughs saying: “You should not ask me to play favourites! But Shekhar who I have known for the longest time — we studied together, shared accommodation when we were starting out and constantly are in each other’s houses abroad — we continued chatting even after the interview was over.”

Talking with different generations of filmmakers, Kabir also perceived the change in approaching filmmaking. “I think the senior directors favour an epic canvas, while the younger filmmakers are more edgy in style and content.”

The show also helped bring Kabir up to speed with the latest happenings in Bollywood. “The lesson I learnt about today’s mainstream cinema is it is not enough just to tell a good story; one has to tell it well. The audience now wants visual excitement and the tremendous developments in special effects means a filmmaker is in a position to provide it.”

So when will all these lessons learnt translate into a directorial debut?

“Soon,” Kabir comments cryptically. “It is too early to talk about genre. The film I make would be India-centric but would cater to the foreign market.”

Kabir has a birthday coming up on January 16. “It comes every year,” he says drolly. “I will be in Rome, a city I love for its sheer historicity, like I like London for the ease of living while Delhi is closest to me for emotional reasons.”

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