Kabir Bedi On How His First Wife Protima Reacted To His Affair With Parveen Babi: “Does She Love You?”
New Delhi:
Kabir Bedi’s personal life is no less than cinema. The Kurbaan actor, who always defied societal norms, talked about his affair and break-up with Parveen Babi in an interview with Digital Commentary. Kabir said in the interview he didn’t leave Parveen Babi but the actress left him in the fear that he would pressurize her to undergo a treatment for her mental illness. In this context, Kabir Bedi’s anecdotes from his autobiography Stories I Must Tell: The Emotional Journey Of An Actor gained the limelight. In the book, he wrote about his marriage to Odissi dancer Protima Bedi and how he broke the news of his affair with Parveen Babi in front of Protima.
Describing his troubled marriage to Protima, Kabir Bedi wrote in the book, “It had led to a lack of intimacy between us. I didn’t feel the love that I wanted, the caring and sharing I needed. Nor was I able to give it. The old magic had gone. I was feeling alone, empty and dejected.” Getting candid about how he revealed his affair to his wife, he wrote, “There was no easy way to break the news to Protima. ‘I’m going over to Parveen’s tonight,’ I said softly when she came in. ‘Parveen’s!’ she repeated in surprise. I could see her computing what must have happened. ‘But I’ve only just arrived. Can’t you stay tonight at least?’ I shook my head. ‘No, I have to be with her tonight … and every night.’ In that moment, she realised that our relationship had changed forever.”
Kabir Bedi also wrote in vivid details how his wife reacted to his affair with Parveen Babi. “She let out a deep breath and looked at me. ‘Do you love her?’ I nodded, not without sadness. ‘Does she love you?’ she asked, her voice a notch higher. ‘Yes,’ I said gruffly, wanting to cry. I knew I was ending a relationship where we’d shared life-changing experiences together, happy and unhappy, moral and immoral, for six tumultuous years. But I didn’t want to show vulnerability. I had to be strong to end it. I held her by the shoulders to embrace her goodbye. She clung to me and burst out crying. Then she sat down on the bed and sighed deeply before she spoke. ‘Please leave me alone now,’ she said in a firm voice as tears welled in her eyes. ‘Leave me alone. Please go!’ Our ‘open marriage’ was over.”
In addition to his work in films like Kurbaan, The Hero: Love Story of a Spy, and Dilwale, Kabir Bedi has also appeared in many international projects, including The Archer: Fugitive from the Empire, La tigre e ancora viva: Sandokan alla riscossa! and The Thief of Baghdad.
