Kabir Bedi Biography
Kabir Bedi OMRI is a celebrated Indian actor who was born on 16 January 1946 in Lahore, Punjab Province of British India (now in Punjab, Pakistan).
He was born into a Punjabi Khatri Sikh family of the Bedi clan that had actively participated in India’s struggle for independence from British colonial rule. Bedi received his education from Sherwood College, Nainital, Uttarakhand, and St. Stephen’s College, Delhi.
Kabir Bedi began his career in Indian theatre and later transitioned to Hindi films. He was one of the first Indian actors to gain international recognition as he worked in Hollywood films and became a star in Europe. Bedi’s acting career has spanned over several decades, and he has acted in over 60 Indian films, in addition to his successful career in television and theatre.
As a stage actor, Bedi has performed in Shakespeare’s Othello and portrayed a historical Indian king in Tughlaq. He also starred in the West End musical adaptation of M.M. Kaye’s novel, The Far Pavilions. Bedi played the role of Emperor Shah Jahan in John Murrell’s play Taj, which went on an eight-week multi-city tour of Canada in 2013.
Behind the camera, Kabir Bedi played a significant role in the James Bond movie, Octopussy, where he was cast as henchman Gobinda. He also starred in other Bollywood hits, such as Kacche Dhaage, Khoon Bhari Maang, and Main Hoon Na. Bedi also acted in the Tamil film Aravaan, directed by Vasanthabalan, and the Telugu historical movie Gautamiputra Satakarni.
Kabir Bedi’s acting talent extended beyond Bollywood and Hollywood as he also appeared in several American and European TV shows such as Dynasty, Murder, She Wrote, Magnum, P.I., Hunter, Knight Rider, Highlander: The Series, Hallmark’s African epic Forbidden Territory, and Ken Follett’s On Wings of Eagles and Red Eagle. Kabir Bedi’s most significant success in Europe was his role in the Italian-German-French TV series, Sandokan, which broke viewership records across Europe.
Aside from acting, Kabir Bedi is a regular contributor to Indian publications such as the Times of India and Tehelka, where he writes on political and social issues affecting the country. He is also seen debating on such topics on Indian national television.
Bedi has won numerous film, advertising, and popularity awards across Europe and India. He was also knighted by the President of the Italian Republic in 2010, receiving the highest ranking civilian honor of the Italian Republic and the title of “Cavaliere” (Knight) of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic. In addition, he received an Honorary Degree from Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India.
Kabir Bedi was married four times and has three children, Pooja, Siddharth (deceased), and Adam. He was married to Protima Bedi, an Odissi dancer, and later to British-born fashion designer Susan Humphreys.
In the early 1990s, Kabir married TV and radio presenter Nikki Bedi, and they divorced in 2005. He is currently married to British-born Parveen Dusanj, whom he married a day before his 70th birthday.
