Per everyone is the only one, true Sandokan: Kabir Bedi, 78 years old, owes his great fame in Italy to the television drama broadcast in the late seventies. The actor spoke about himself, his life, his career, his his four wives and children (one of whom committed suicide almost thirty years ago) to Mara Venier, guest of the episode of Sunday In on Sunday 28 April.
Who is Kabir Bedi
Born on 16 January 1946 in Lahore, Pakistani Punjab (which was part of the British Empire at the time), Kabir Bedi was part of an Indian Sikh family. However, his mother converted to Buddhism, and the actor himself, as he said about ten years ago in an interview withHindustan Times at the age of 10 he was ordained as a monk and spent a few months in a monastery: like other Buddhist monks, he had a shaved head, wore a habit and wandered the streets collecting alms and meditating.
First pprotagonist of photo novels for the magazine Grand Hotel, after entering the world of cinema Kabir Bedi achieved international fame thanks to his interpretation of Sandokan in the drama directed by Sergio Sollima. At that point his career was full of successes. After having also interpreted the black Corsairanother protagonist of Emilio Salgari’s novels, and having played again Sandokan (first in a film and then in a ministry) he also starred in a film in the saga of James Bond (Octopussy – Operation octopus) which made him known in the USA.
It was in America that in the 1980s he participated in some of the most popular TV series of the time, from Dynasty to Riptidefrom Magnum PI to Beautiful. And then, over the last thirty years, he has acted in dozens of Bollywood productions.
The Sandokan of Kabir Bedi
On his most famous character, Sandokan, Kabir Bedi told Mara Venier that he shares the feelings of the “Malaysian Tiger” “because my father married an English woman and fought for the independence of India.” And then, he underlined, precisely the cinematographic experience in Italy «changed my life. Sandokan is a true cultural icon.”
And precisely from a cultural point of view, the fact that I was born when India became independent was very influential: at that point my parents left political life and began to follow the religious path. Mom became the highest Buddhist nun in the world.” And even if the parents “chose different paths”, there has always remained “an incredible relationship” between them. They loved each other so much even though they were far apart. From my parents I inherited tolerance, compassion, honesty and a sense of social responsibility.”
Kabir Bedi and the four wives
On his private life, Kabir Bedi said he had “married four times”. And it ended with the first three for different reasons: «With the first we gradually separated, I left the second, the third wanted to live in London and I in India». But he, he clarifies, believes in marriage: «I never lost hope of having a happy marriage and now I have».
Son’s suicide
With his first wife, he continued, «I had two children”. And one of his sons caused him enormous pain. «My son Siddarth committed suicide in 1997 and it was a great tragedy. He was a genius, graduated in computer science in America. He was a good man, never violent. Then when he started suffering from schizophrenia, it has become so.” And he, he said, “tried to save him, but he was determined to do it and I failed. There is no greater pain than losing a child, and I feel guilty».
However, Kabir Bedi wanted to send viewers a message of hope: “I don’t want you to lose it, medicines are more effective now than they were then” and psychiatric illnesses are better diagnosed.
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