Over the years, Mandira Bedi has successfully donned many hats – including that of an actor, a cricket show host, a reality show participant, a fashion designer, a fitness enthusiast, and a motivational speaker. In 2021, she suddenly lost her life partner of 25 years – her husband, filmmaker Raj Kaushal – who passed away after suffering a heart attack.

However, she bravely and gracefully kept moving ahead and went on to become a pillar of strength for her children. In an exclusive interview with Bombay Times, she talks about parenting her two kids, Vir and Tara, what keeps her going and the kind of roles she is seeking. Excerpts:

In the last few years, Mandira has had her hands full — acting, being a social media influencer, focusing on her fitness and being a hands-on mother to her two children, 11-year-old son Vir and six-year-old daughter Tara.

“Whenever I’m not working, I am with my children. We have a great routine, I am with them all the time, I drop and pick them up from school and we go on holidays. But just like me, my kids are homebodies, too. I love my work. I am doing a new show for TV, I shoot for brands on social media, do workout videos and give motivational talks at events on fitness. It’s great to inspire people, but my kids are my happy place... that is what keeps me going. And even in the middle of all this, I find the time to exercise. It is a challenge, but I’m always up for a challenge.”

Mandira has always been a private person and has rarely spoken about how she coped with the pain of losing her partner of 25 and kept going. She shares, “I have my children, and after Raj, I had to do what I had to do to give them a loving, normal and happy environment. I have had to get on with life. The way I coped with my grief and loss in the last few years is something that is extremely private to me. It is not something that I have shared or talked about with anyone. I believe that I have gone through the right channels and done it all in the best possible way, without any shortcuts. I do a lot of motivational talks and I talk about everything else, and yet, when it comes to me as a pointed question, I answer it just like the way I have answered you today.”

Mandira, who has worked in the OTT space since 2018, says, “The rise of OTT has been phenomenal. There’s work for everybody, and that is just incredible. Many actors who were not doing films are getting a new lease of life in the OTT world.”

Mandira played Nikita Rai, based on the character Nina Myers in the action thriller 24, the Indian adaptation of the American series of the same name. The actress shares how she almost manifested her role.

“It was the first show that Raj and I binge-watched. I remember telling Raj that playing the character of Nina Myers would be like a dream come true. Many years later, when the show came to India, I got a call from Abhinay Deo’s (the director of 24) office. They wanted me for another role, and I said, ‘Are you serious! You are not calling me for the Nina Myers’ role?’ They said that they had already cast somebody. But eventually, I did play Nina Myers, and it was a dream come true!”

Mandira’s role in the thriller and her look in 24 was much appreciated. However, it did kind of typecast her. “Because of that role, people only saw me as a short-haired cop, and I kept getting offered similar roles. I have said no to every kind of film because of this. I was offered to play a cop in a Telugu and Tamil film. Then there was a show where I was offered to play a jailer. Due to my hair, the way I look and my fitness, makers think that I really fit the bill to play a cop. However, I don’t want to do that anymore. I want to do other interesting roles. I have been turning down a lot of roles, and I am being picky about what I choose.”