Mandira Bedi says she was ‘stared down’ by cricketers: ‘Nobody accepted me to begin with’

Mandira Bedi has revealed that many cricketers would stare her down when she was anchoring cricket shows on TV.

Mumbai | Updated: March 6, 2022 08:52 AM IST

3 min read

Mandira Bedi opened up about postpastum depression. (Photo: Mandira Bedi/ Instagram)

Actor and TV presenter Mandira Bedi has opened up about how she used to get ‘stared down’ by many cricketers when she used to host pre-match shows at tournaments a few years ago. In a recent interview, Mandira revealed that she was made to feel out of place. She also said that there have been times when she felt intimidated, but was encouraged to offer a new perspective by the channel that had contracted her.

The 49-year-old appeared as a TV anchor for ICC Cricket World Cups in the years 2003 and 2007, the Champions Trophies in the years 2004 and 2006, and the Indian Premier League Season 2. She was one of the first few women to have hosted cricket tournaments on television.

Mandira, in an interview with Pinkvilla said, “I was told whatever question comes to your mind at that particular point of time if you’re thinking it ask it. I was given that freedom. Of course, I got stared down by a lot of the cricketers like, ‘what’s she even asking, why is she even asking that.’ They answered whatever they wanted to answer nothing connected to my question and that can be very very intimidating but I kind of was assured by the channel, it was Sony, that backed me and chose me from 150-200 women. They said that we’ve chosen you with the reason we think you have what it takes to stay, so go ahead and be yourself and start enjoying yourself.”

The Shanti actor also spoke about her struggles to be accepted in a cricket niche circuit. She said, “Nobody accepted me to begin with, certainly not the people sitting on the panel. I’m friends with all the ex-cricketers now who I worked with back then as well but they didn’t like that either. They didn’t like that there was a woman wearing a saree, dressed up, talking cricket. Nobody fed me any lines, nobody fed me any questions. I was there to represent the layperson who doesn’t know every technicality of cricket, who does not know every nuance of cricket.”

Mandira lost her filmmaker husband Raj Kaushal in June, last year. She has two children — son Vir (ten) and daughter Tara (five). Mandira has been one of the most prominent faces on television. She has featured in films such as Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, and the anthology Dus Kahaniyaan; and TV shows shows Shanti, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi and 24. She recently hosted The Love Laugh Live Show on Romedy NOW.

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