The suave actor is happy that after spending “three decades in three continents” as an actor, he still finds something new that's exciting. Kabir Bedi will be in Hyderabad this weekend to be part of theatre production Pankhdiyaan . “If this had come my way a few years ago, I would have been sceptical, since Urdu used to be an unfamiliar language to me. When I played Shah Jahan in Akbar Khan's Taj Mahal , I got to speak in chaste Urdu and started developing a love for the language,” says the actor.
Pankhdiyaan , he shares, “will be a multimedia production where Anupam Kher, Juhi Babbar and I will be reading verses from Ali Sardar Jaffri, Sarojini Naidu and Maqdoom Mohiuddin's works. Zila Khan's vocals, Rahul Sharma's sitar and Vani Ganapathy's dance presentation will add to the theatrical event,” he says.
This production marks Bedi's return to the stage after five years. “I was on stage for TheFar Pavilions in London five years ago. In India, Alyque Padamsee's Othello was my last play,” says the actor, still fondly remembered for his role in Tughlaq .
Bedi divides his time between London, Italy and India and says he does Hindi films to stay in touch with Indian audience. “I considered myself an international actor but home is where the heart is. A number of young actors of Indian origin, like Karl Penn and Senthil Ramamurthy, have become quite popular in the US. They too consider working in India to stay connected with Indian audience,” he explains. Bedi will be soon seen in Kites as the owner of a casino in Las Vegas. Prod him to elaborate on his role and he says, “I might be giving away the storyline. Hrithik Roshan is supposed to marry my daughter but runs away with my son's fiancée.” His association with the Roshans goes back to the time of Khoon Bhari Maang .
Post Kites , there's Dunno Y , an experimental film with Zeenat Aman, and an untitled film with Govinda. “I will be also starting my own production soon,” he informs. At the moment though, his focus is on Mohammad Ali Baig's Pankhdiyaan . “I am just back after visiting Scotland and Tibet and looking forward to performing in Hyderabad,” he signs off. Pankhdiyaan will be staged on May 7; 8.30 p.m. at Taj Banjara.
