Kabir Bedi, who celebrates his 80th birthday, looks back at working with iconic filmmakers: “What you take from them is much greater than what one can assimilate from any acting academy”
On January 16, Kabir Bedi turns 80. Remove twenty years from that figure and you get how he looks today!
Terming a healthy outlook and lifestyle, light exercise and careful diet as his secret armamentarium in looking three-quarters his age, Kabir notes that he is as busy an actor as ever. Among the films he is doing or are on release are a biopic, USA vs. Raj, the quirky Detective Shantaram, the Italian production, Questione di Stoffa, his Kannada debut, Koragajja and a spy drama on the web—Teen Kawwe, produced by Siddharth Roy Kapur.
His international fame began in the mid-1970s with Sandokan, the Italian series about a Malaysian pirate, and went on to do multiple movies and shows including the Bond thriller, Octopussy, and The Bold And The Beautiful—interestingly the perfect term for his colorful life and career too! Kabir’s Hindi highs include Kucche Dhaage, Nagin, Khoon Bhari Maang, Main Hoon Na and Dilwale. In 2025, he featured in Achaari Baa and the Telugu film, Hari Hara Veera Mallu.
During his long journey in films, which “officially” began with a tiny role in Hulchul (1971), Kabir has fond memories of many of his associates.
How was the Achaari Baa experience?
People are loving its warm, human drama. I enjoyed working with Neena Gupta, who plays the title-role.
Shabana Azmi and you have done a few films together and now she is there in USA vs. Raj
Yes, I have known her for over 50 years since Ishq Ishq Ishq and Vishwasghaat, two of my early films. She is a fabulous actress and USA vs Raj is a most significant story about a framed innocent US doctor, which has been shot like a Western film by cinematographer-turned-director Ravi K. Chandran.
You have always shared a deep friendship with Rakesh Roshan
Yes, we first met as co-actors in my second film, Seema. I personally salute Rakesh for giving me Khoon Bhari Maang. He thinks big and makes very good films. He’s a man who is very clear about what he wants and is so easy to work with. I would love to work with him again!
In a way, both of you are similar—in changing career tracks midway for the better!
(Laughs) Yes, but I changed countries as well as an actor! He moved on to become a producer and director! I stayed for 25 years abroad. But when I came back in the early 2000s, there are so many interesting things happening, and now we have OTT. That reminds me: Mohenjo Daro, featuring Rakesh’s son Hrithik, may have been a failure but strangely, everybody in Bengal talks about it! For some reason, Bengalis have loved it!
Any other such example in your career?
I co-starred with Hema Malini in the TV serial, Noopur, which she also directed. And I was very surprised that, in California and USA in general, every NRI has seen Noopur. It is known more than Kucche Dhaage or Khoon Bhari Maang. I guess every film finds its own audience! And Hema-ji is a wonderful woman and actress and a fantastic dancer.
That brings me to Dharmendra, with whom you did Kshatriya and were to do Razia Sultan
Yes! Because I left for foreign shores, Vijayendra went on to do my role in Razia Sultan. Dharam-ji was a warm and wonderful man. He would always embrace me each time we met, and he had the nicest smile. He possessed this great Punjabi sense of humour, and we enjoyed whatever time we spent together. I greatly regret not meeting him more and last met him about a year ago. I have very fond memories of this very affectionate man.
How was your bond with Dev Anand?
Dev-saab is a legend, and the reason I accepted supporting roles in Ishq Ishq Ishq and later Bullet was because I just wanted to work with him! In fact, a few years before he passed away, we had met up. We had a long and wonderful talk. He had told me, “Cinema is my life, because it has every art—including photography, stories, acting, writing and music!”
You shared a key point with Zeenat Aman—both of you expected big things from your common debut, Hulchul, but were disappointed with your roles!
(Laughs) Well, with both of us, bigger things did happen but not because of Hulchul!
You worked with great directors like Asit Sen, Raj Khosla, Feroz Khan, Vijay Anand and Mahesh Bhatt as well apart from Rakesh Roshan. Can you tell us something about them all?
Yes, I learnt from each of these great people! What an actor gets to take in something from such names, as well as from all my directors abroad, is much greater than what one can assimilate from any acting academy.
You were close to Mahesh Bhatt as well and acted in his first film, Manzilein Aur Bhi Hain, as its hero
Yes, I was both his first hero and first villain—in his second film, Vishwasghaat! We had a great rapport and would discuss life, philosophy and beliefs and cinema. We learned a lot from each other.
Though you had small roles in Main Hoon Na and Dilwale, how would you rate their respective directors, Farah Khan and Rohit Shetty, as filmmakers?
I think they both make big spectacular films, the commercial Hindi movies that the audience seeks. They both know their craft extremely well and I look forward to working with them again as the experiences were very pleasant.
Finally, how do you assess our youngest stars today?
Oh, they are all extremely talented, very smart and very good at what they do. They bring a new energy and diversity to their work, which is admirable. Today, good looks are not enough to make you a star, you have to be a very good actor, and all these young generation names are great at that. I admire Ranveer Singh the most, Ranbir Kapoor is also good and so are the others, like Kartik Aaryan, Rajkummar Rao…there are so many I could name and should name!
The post Kabir Bedi, who celebrates his 80th birthday, looks back at working with iconic filmmakers: “What you take from them is much greater than what one can assimilate from any acting academy” appeared first on Bollywood Hungama.
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