‘MS Dhoni is my favourite’: Mandira Bedi explains why

Actor Mandira Bedi, also the first female cricket analyst in India, has spoken about her favourite cricketer. When asked about some of her most “iconic conversations” on cricket, she mentioned MS Dhoni. She “unabashedly” calls him her favourite because she finds the former India captain “very genuine”.

“What you see is what you get; he doesn’t hold back. He’s not guarded. And, as a cricketer, as a captain, as a person. I’m his biggest fan,” Bedi said during an interaction with Humans of Bombay.

“I’ve really enjoyed interviewing him. I’ve done lots of interviews with him. He’ll come up with a little twist and answer with a twist. There are some people who are politically correct. But he’s not,” the actor told Karishma Mehta.

“I remember asking him what is the greatest gift that you’ve ever been given? Your daughter? He says no, that wasn’t a gift. It was hard work,” Bedi added.

Mandira Bedi shared her first experience as a female cricket analyst. She was encouraged to ask any questions, believing that viewers at home might have similar queries.

“I’m not supposed to represent a purist; I’m supposed to represent the common person, common person,” she thought.

However, when Bedi posed these questions, the experts beside her often ignored her and continued speaking without acknowledging her input. This lack of recognition hurt her confidence, she said.

“At the end of every show, I would put my head down, and I would cry,” she added.

Mandira Bedi on working with Shah Rukh Khan

Mandira Bedi debuted in one of the most iconic Bollywood movies, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ). In her first film, she worked with Shah Rukh Khan.

“It was lovely shooting with with with Shahrukh Khan because he just made you feel so comfortable. He’s such a natural and he was so kind. Even with my retakes with the song, he was just very sort of very accommodating and very nice and casual,” she said.