It was touchdown Kolkata for city-born girl Mandira Bedi, who hosted this year’s Aparajita Awards at JW Marriott Kolkata last month. Juggling a career that requires her to travel often, being a mother to two kids and with a passion for fitness, Mandira, who completes half a century this year, does it all with zing. Charm and confidence define the undefeated shero she is.
I remember, even when I understood nothing of cricket as a kid, my eyes used to remain glued to the screen to see Mandira and hear her flawless commentary. Two decades later, listening to her on stage and meeting her in person for the first time, nothing has changed — she was the ever-dynamic and ever-spirited lady. Post the award show, I caught up with her for an exclusive, talking about a lot of things, from her favourite mishtis from Kolkata that make her heart melt to the undefeated resilience with which she leads life:
After how many years are you back in the city?
My gosh! I am trying to think! Three years have just gone by with the pandemic and everything. It’s been four years since I came here, which is very long because I used to come three or four times a year. It has been a while.
Kolkata is your birthplace. What comes to your mind when you think about the city?
Meena masi.(Laughs) My masi. My parents lived in Kolkata and then they moved to Delhi and Bombay and then to Delhi but my masi has stayed here since I can remember. She is the one person that I always visit when I come to the city. After I landed this time, I first went to see her and then came for the event.
What do you miss the most about the city or look forward to when you come here?
I look forward to kheer kodom, nolen gur sandesh, chamchams. But this time I did not indulge in any because I have given up sweets for a while.
You came to the city for the Aparajita Awards. Aparajita means undefeated. What is your idea of an undefeated woman?
Well, I think we are surrounded by people who in different stages and moments in their life have stayed undefeated. My mother is a very strong person. She has stayed undefeated always regardless of ups and downs. So, I would say she is one. My friends. I have so many friends around me, strong and able women who are unshaken. I don’t think one has to look far for inspiration and role models because they are all around.
You are a dynamic woman yourself. Be it on TV as a presenter or on stage over the years. What goes behind holding up this personality throughout?
Well, we go through lots of things in life and we become who we are. What I was 25 years ago when I started in this profession to what I am today, I think it’s my years of experience and lots of ups and downs in my life personally and work-wise. When we experience so much of that, we realise that the good times pass and the bad times also pass, and we find a place in the middle, an equilibrium. And belief in oneself is important. The greatest amount of confidence I got in myself was the time I discovered self-belief and self-love.
Being in a profession like this has a lot of insecurities as the work can end any time. But now I look at my life and the years gone by, now I say to myself that as long as I want to work I will be working. I have that belief in myself and I love myself so much that I try to be the best version of myself every single day.
Mandira on stage at Aparajita at JW Marriott Kolkata
Challenges have been a part of your journey throughout. What is your mantra for staying undefeated?
Well, I just think the good times and the bad times are transient. I tell myself this too shall pass. And then we reach a stage where nothing excites us too much or depresses us too much. Also, I have discovered gratitude every step of the way instead of focussing on the negatives, the downs and everything that went wrong in my life. I try and focus on the positives and what is right, good and everything that happens the way I want it to. The moment we feel gratitude, true gratitude from our heart for anything, that is when we feel happy. We can’t feel happy, angry and negative at the same time. Gratitude is my superpower.
For any woman who has written a story of her undefeated success has faced societal stigmas. For you also, it stands true. How did you look at that and deal with it?
Well, I think it is time. The first time something happens to us like an attack on us, we feel bad about it. The second time something like that happens, we feel less bad about it but the third time we develop a thick skin. It is like an armour. It is experience. Experience counts a lot and when we have got experience behind us that gives us strength and resilience as well. That is why for a younger person, as they have less experience, they have less experience in how to deal with it also. I have experienced a lot, I have gone through a lot and I have had a long journey so far and counting. I don’t think I am going to hang up my boots any time soon. (smiles)
You started the event by talking about celebrating oneself. In what ways do you celebrate yourself?
I celebrate myself every time I exercise. I celebrate myself as a parent all the time. I have two beautiful children and I celebrate myself as a mother. So, I think my life is a series of celebrations and one should never think... there were times when I thought about what I have done in my life, what have I achieved, I didn’t have a high opinion of myself. But now I celebrate every moment because I have discovered self-love. That is a very important thing and once we discover that belief that we should always have in ourself then we celebrate even the smallest things. I have celebrated even this wonderful event that I have done today, this beautiful day in Calcutta after four years and I am flying to Dubai for work tomorrow and I am going to celebrate that as well. Celebrate even the smallest wins because life is too short not to.
You are a self-empowered woman who believes in being her own hero. What is your idea of women empowerment?
When it comes to empowerment, I have always believed that even in relationships there should be equality. People talk about being a homemaker. Even a woman who looks after her children and runs the home should put value to it because it is a very difficult job. Women who do that should never take a back foot and say, oh I am a homemaker because that is a difficult job. So, whether she is a manager of the home or manager in an office, I think respect and equality should be given to whatever it is a woman does. And also get equal pay.
What do you enjoy the most about motherhood?
I am just blessed that every single morning when people ask me what is your greatest achievement, I think it is motherhood. Becoming a mother for me is my greatest achievement because work is there and work has been lovely and I am very grateful for my journey but the fact that I have a biological child and an adopted child and I love them equally, I think I am blessed to have that kind of a journey because people don’t know how amazing it is.
You are an inspiration to so many women. What is your pick-me-up mantra on days life throws a storm at you?
My only pick-me-up mantra is I am grateful for what is and grateful for what isn’t. I try to be grateful in my highs and graceful in my lows.
Pictures: Pabitra Das