Biography

Early life

Bedi was one of three children born into a family that had devoted itself to India's fight for independence from British colonial rule. His father, Baba Pyare Lal Singh Bedi, a Punjabi Sikh, was an author and philosopher. His mother, Freda Bedi was a British woman born in Derby, England, who became famous as the first Western woman to take ordination in Tibetan Buddhism. Kabir Bedi did his schooling at Sherwood College, Nainital, and graduation from St. Stephen's College, Delhi.

Personal life

Bedi married four times and had three children, Pooja, Siddharth (deceased) and Adam. He was married to Protima Bedi, an Odissi dancer. Their daughter Pooja Bedi is a magazine/newspaper columnist. Their son, Siddharth, who went to Carnegie Mellon University in the USA, had a long history of schizophrenia and committed suicide in 1997 at the age of 26.

As his marriage with Protima began to break down he famously started a relationship with Parveen Babi. They never married. He later married British-born fashion designer Susan Humphreys. Their son, Adam Bedi is an international model who made his Hindi Film debut with the thriller, Hello? Kaun Hai!. This marriage ended in divorce.

In the early 1990s, Bedi married TV and radio presenter Nikki Bedi. They had no children and divorced in 2005. After that, Kabir Bedi has been in a relationship with British born Parveen Dusanj.

Kabir tied knot with his long time partner Parveen Dusanj, 41, a day before his 70th birthday (15th January 2016). Kabir Bedi is a firm supporter of the freedom struggle in Burma, and has become an official ambassador of the Burma Campaign UK. He is also the Brand Ambassador for Rotary International South Asia for their Teach Programme and the Total Literacy Mission in India and South Asia.

Career

Kabir Bedi began his career in Indian theatre and then moved on to Hindi films. Bedi remains one of the first international actors from India to have originated from Hindi Films, worked in Hollywood, and become a big star in Europe.

Stage acting

As a stage actor, Kabir has performed Shakespeare's Othello as well as portrayed a historical Indian king, Tughlaq; and a self-destructive alcoholic in The Vultures. In London he also starred in The Far Pavilions, the West End musical adaptation of M. M. Kaye's novel, at the Shaftesbury Theatre. In 2011 Kabir played Emperor Shah Jahan, in 'Taj' a play written by John Murrell, a celebrated Canadian playwright for the Luminato Festival in Toronto. In 2013, this play was recommissioned and went on an 8-week multi city tour of Canada.

Film career

In the James Bond film Octopussy, he played the villain's aide Gobinda who battled Roger Moore from start to finish.

Kabir has acted in over 60 Indian films. In the historical epic Taj Mahal: An Eternal Love Story, Kabir starred as the Emperor Shah Jahan. Other starring Hindi Films roles include Raj Khosla's Kacche Dhaage, Rakesh Roshan's Khoon Bhari Maang and Farah Khan's Main Hoon Na.

Kabir Bedi shot a movie with Hrithik Roshan (Kites), Govinda (Showman), and Akshay Kumar (Blue). He is also starred in Deepa Mehta's film, Kamagata Maru with Amitabh Bachchan and John Abraham. He did a pivotal role in a Tamil film titled 'Aravaan', directed by Vasanthabalan, who is critically acclaimed for his earlier films Angaadi Theru and Veyil.

Kabir played pivotal roles in Columbia Pictures' The Beast of War, a film on the Russian war in Afghanistan, directed by Kevin Reynolds, as well as the acclaimed Italian film Andata Ritorno, by Marco Ponti, winner of the prestigious David di Donatello Award.

Television career

Kabir's has had extensive roles on American television - primetime and daytime, series and miniseries - including Hallmark's African epic Forbidden Territory, and Ken Follett's On Wings of Eagles and also Red Eagle. He played Friar Sands in The Lost Empire, for NBC. Kabir also played roles on Dynasty, Murder, She Wrote, Magnum, P.I., Hunter, Knight Rider and Highlander: The Series amongst others.

In Europe, his greatest success was Sandokan, the saga of a romantic Asian pirate during British colonial times; an Italian-German-French TV series.. Kabir also recently starred in a prime-time Italian television series, Un Medico in Famiglia, on RAI TV, the country's biggest broadcaster.

For over a year, Kabir starred in The Bold and the Beautiful, the second most-watched television show in the world, seen by over a billion people in 149 countries.

He had his own cinematic talk show on Indian TV, "Director's Cut", a 13-part special series interviewing the country's leading directors. His success on television continued in 2013 with award winning prime-time shows “Guns and Glory: The Indian Soldier” & “Vandemataram”, for India’s news channels - Headlines Today & Aaj Tak.

Radio career

In 2007 has starred in "Chat", a radio show aired by RAI Radio2, in the role of Sandokan. In 2012, did a series of Radio One programmes titled, 'Women of Gold' and 'Men of Steel' in honour of industry champions in India.

Writing

Kabir Bedi is a regular contributor to Indian publications including the Times of India and Tehelka on political and social issues affecting the country. He is also seen debating such topics on Indian national television.

Awards and achievements

Since 1982 Kabir has been a voting member of the prestigious Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, who are responsible for presenting the Oscar awards. He is also a voting member of the Screen Actors Guild.

He has also won numerous film, advertising and popularity awards across Europe and India.

By decree of the President of the Italian Republic of 2 June 2010, Kabir Bedi was officially knighted. He received the highest ranking civilian honour of the Italian Republic and was bestowed the title of "Cavaliere" (Knight) of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic.

Filmography

Film Title	Release Year	Status	Character
Hulchal	1971	Released	Mahesh Jetley
Seema	1971	Released
Rakhi Aur Hathkadi	1972	Released	Suraj
Sazaa	1972	Released
Anokha Daan	1972	Released
Kachche Dhaage	1973	Released	Roopa
Yauwan	1973	Released
Manzilein Aur Bhi Hain	1974	Released
Maa Bahen Aur Biwi	1974	Released
Ishq Ishq Ishq	1974	Released
Anari	1975	Released
Nagin	22 January 1976	Released	Uday
Daaku	1976	Released
Harfan Maula	1976	Released
Vishwasghaat	1976	Released	Uday
Daku Aur Mahatma	1977	Released
Bullet	1977	Released	Durga Prasad/D.P.
The Black Corsair	1976 - Italy	Released
Sandokan	1977	Released	Sandokan
Thief of Baghdad	1977	Released
The Thief of Baghdad	1978	Released
Ashanti	1979	Released	Malik
Aakhri Kasam	1979	Released	Kishan/Badal
Yuvraj	5 October 1979	Released
40 Days of Musa Dagh	1982	Released	Gabriel Bagradian
Girl from India/Man from Africa	1982	Released
Octopussy	1983	Released	Gobinda
Counterforce	1988	Released	Koura
Khoon Bhari Maang	12 August 1988	Released	Sanjay Verma
Mera Shikar	1988	Released
Police Public	11 May 1990	Released	Senior Inspector Shah Nawaz Khan
Haar Jeet	1990	Released
Shera Shamshera	1990	Released
Kurbaan	31 May 1991	Released	Inspector Suraj Singh
Yeh Aag Kab Bujhegi	19 April 1991	Released
Vishkanya	1991	Released	Forest Officer Vikram Singh
Dil Aashna Hai	25 December 1992	Released	Digvijay Singh
Yalgaar	23 October 1992	Released	Raj Pratap Singhal
Beyond Justice	1992	Released	Moulet
Lambu Dada	1992	Released
Kshatriya	29 March 1993	Released	Thakur Ganga Singh (Police Officer)
Yugandhar	1993	Released	Col Kanir
Salaami	18 March 1994	Released	Captain
Lie Down with Lions	12 June 1994	Released	Kabir
The Maharaja's Daughter	1994	Released	Chandragupta
OP Centre	26 February 1995	Released	Abdul
Kismat	16 June 1995	Released	Rajan
Aatank Hi Aatank	4 August 1995	Released	Police Inspector
Mashamal - Ritorno al Deserto	19 June 1998	Released	Example
Figlio di Sandokan, II	1998	Stuck/On hold	Sandokan
Kohram	13 August 1999	Released	Brig. Bedi
The Lost Empire	11 March 2001	Released	Friar Sand
Kranti	15 March 2002	Released	Mahendra Pratap Rana
Maine Dil Tujhko Diya	23 August 2002	Released	Mr. Varma (Ayesha's Father)
Talaash	3 January 2003	Released	Chhote Pathan
The Hero: Love Story of a Spy	11 April 2003	Released	Mr. Zakaria
Father	2004	Released	Karl, father (a violinist)
Rudraksh	13 February 2004	Released	Ved Pujan
Asambhav	23 July 2004	Released
Kismat	20 February 2004	Released	Raj Mallya
A/R Andata & Ritorno	2 April 2004	Released	Tolstoj
Main Hoon Na	30 April 2004	Released	Gen. Amarjeet Bakshi
Bewafaa	25 February 2005	Released	Anjali's Father
Taj Mahal - An Eternal Love Story	18 November 2005	Released	Emperor Shah Jahan
Do Raha	2006	Released
Jaanleva	2006	Released	Rakesh Khullar
A All About Her	2006	Released
Take 3 Girls	2006	Stuck/On Hold	Mo
Showman	2008	Under Production
Blue	2009	Released
Kites	2010	Released
Aravaan	2011	Released
Chakravyuh	2012	Released	Mahanta, an industrialist and negotiator for the government
Yaara O Dildaara	2013	Released
Bazodee	2015	Post-production	Ram Panchouri
Mohenjo Daro (film)	2015	In- Production
Dilwale	2015	Released	Dev Malik
Anarkali	2015	Released	Jaffer Imam
Edict of Expulsion 1492	2017	Pre- Production	Sultan Bayezid II

Television

TV Title	Release Year	Status	Character
Sandokan	1976	European TV Mini series	Sandokan
La Tigre è Ancora Viva: Sandokan alla Riscossa	1977	European TV Mini series	Sandokan
Dynasty	1982	TV Series	Farouk Ahmed
General Hospital	1983	TV Series	Rama
Knight Rider	November 1985	TV Series	Vascone
Dynasty	1986	TV Series	Farouk Ahmed
On Wings of Eagles	1986	TV Series	Mohammed
The Days and Nights of Molly Dod	May 1987	TV Series	Bill
Misteri della Giungla Nera, I - a.k.a. The Mysteries of the Dark Jungle	1991	TV Mini Series	Kammamuri
Il Principe del Deserto - a.k.a. Desert Law	1991	TV Series	Moulet Beni-Zair
The Bold and the Beautiful	September 1994	TV Series	Prince Omar
Maharaja's Daughter	1994	TV Series	Chandragupta
Highlander: The Series	20 November 1995	TV Series	Kamir
Bible Ki Kahaniyaan	1995	TV Series	Abraham, the Patriarch
Ritorno di Sandokan, II	6 October 1996	TV Mini Series	Sandokan
Noi siamo angeli - a.k.a. We are Angel	16 February 1997	TV Mini Series	Gen. Napoleon Durate
Forbidden Territory: Stanley's Search for Livingstone	7 December 1997	TV Series	Khamis Bin Abdullah
Team Knight Rider	9 February 1998	TV Series	Aristotle Drago
Murder She Wrote	February 1988	TV Series	Vikram Singh
Magnum, P.I.	10 February 1988	TV Series	Malcolm
L'isola dei famosi	2004	Italian Reality Show	Himself
The Bold and the Beautiful	4 May 2005	TV Series	Prince Omar
Vivere	May 2006	Italian TV Series	Emir Ibrahim
Director's Cut	2007	TV Special Series	Himself
Un medico in famiglia 5	2007	Italian TV Series	Kabir
Ganga Kii Dheej	2010-2011	Hindi TV Series	Dada Bhai
Buddha	2013	Hindi TV Series	Asita Muni (Cameo)
VandeMataram	2013	TV Special News Series	Himself
Guns & Glory: The Indian Soldier	2013	TV Special News Series	Himself
Jai Ho	2014	TV Special News Series	Himself

Radio

Radio Title	Release Year	Status	Character
Ch@t (Italian fiction)	2007	RAI Radio2	Sandokan
'Women of Gold'	2012	RadioOne	Himself
'Men of Steel'	2012	Radio One	Himself

Dubbing roles

Live action films

Film title	Actor	Character	Dub Language	Original Language	Original Year Release	Dub Year Release	Notes
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time	Ben Kingsley	Nizam	Hindi	English	2010	2010
Fantastic Four	Reg E. Cathey	Dr. Franklin Storm	Hindi	English	2015	2015

Voice overs

Project	Type	Language	Year
The Keeper of the Flame - The History of TATA	Documentary	English	2007
An Introduction to CHILDLINE India	Public Awareness Campaign - Narrator	English	2008
Aircel Save the Tiger Campaign	Public Awareness Campaign - Narrator	English	2009
Ford Motors launch Figo, India	Live Events	English	2010
Somnath Temple, Gujarat	Sound & Light Show	English	2010
Red Fort, New Delhi	Sound & Light Show	English	2011
Virasat-e-Khalsa - Khalsa Heritage Memorial Complex, Punjab	Narrator	English	2011
Apollo Tyres	Advertisement	English	2013
Jindal Panther	Advertisement	English	2014
Banda Singh Bahadur - War Memorial, Punjab	Sound & Light Show	English	2014
TAJ Hotels, Resorts & Palaces	Advertisement	English	2014
DHL	Advertisement	Hindi	2015
Yamaha	Advertisement	Hindi	2015
Mount of Excellence	Documentary narrator	English	2015
Parle	Advertisement	Hindi & English	2016
Tanishq	Advertisement	English	2016

Voting memberships

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (commonly known as the Oscar Academy)
The Screen Actors Guild
The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists
The British Actors' Equity Association

[ Source: Wikipedia ]