The pirate who drove Europe crazy
Years ago, having a T-shirt with his likeness was a mark of prestige. In the 1970s and 1980s, crowds of TV viewers from all over Europe fell in love with the handsome representative of the Malaysian tiger Sandokan, where the Italian-French-German series was broadcast with great success. Behind the adventure stories regarding a Malayan pirate and warrior from the days of British colonial rule is the Italian writer Emilio Salgari, for whom a real-life pirate from the 19th century probably became the model for his character of a fearless fighter once morest the oppressors of his nation. In 1976, a six-part series called Sandokan was created, and thanks to the extraordinary audience response, the series received several sequels, with the last part coming from the end of the nineties.
The parents ended up in prison because of the struggle for India’s independence
The main role of Sandokan was won by the Indian actor Kabir Bedi, whose most famous character changed his life and made him famous not only in Europe, but also opened doors for him at American film studios. Born in 1946, Kabir Bedi’s father was a direct descendant of the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak, and he and the boy’s mother, Freda, spent time in prison as supporters of Indian nationalism who fought for India’s independence. Kabir’s parents met at Oxford, where they were both studying, and married despite the disapproval of relatives. Freda Bedi came from the English city of Derby and moved to India following marrying her Sikh husband.
He fondly remembers part of his childhood in a Czech family
When Kabir was seven, his mother went to Burma for a few months to work for the United Nations. During her absence, she entrusted her son to a Czech family living in India, who lovingly undertook Kabir’s education. The actor often and fondly remembers Aunt Jana and her husband, and he considers the time spent in the company of the Czechs to be one of the most beautiful months of his childhood. The future famous idol and heartthrob started his career during his studies, earning extra money as a radio reporter. He originally wanted to be an architect, but ended up studying history. At the age of twenty-five, he was discovered by Indian Bollywood.
He also played in a Bond film or in the endless series The Rich and Rich
However, Kabir Bedi achieved international success only in the 1970s thanks to his legendary role as Sandokan. It was directed at the time by the Italian director Sergio Sollima, who is also under the name of another act where this charismatic Indian played the main role. The film Black Corsair from 1976 was also a hit with the audience and, together with Sandokan, brought the actor to the peak of popularity. In the eighties, Kabir Bedi also appeared in the popular American series Dynasty or in the Bond film The Octopus. He won the role of Prince Omar Rashid in the endless series The Rich and Rich in the first half of the nineties, in which he might be seen by the masses of viewers, as this so-called soap opera was broadcast in 149 countries of the world and is one of the most watched series in history.
He was affected by a family tragedy and a financial crisis
Women still adore the charismatic actor with a charming look, and he loves them back. He married four times in his lifetime, marrying his last wife, who was almost thirty years his junior, the day before his seventieth birthday. Kabir’s daughter Pooja is an actress and columnist, and son Adam has also established himself as a successful model outside of acting. The second son of the serial Sandokan committed suicide at the end of the nineties. It is Siddharth’s death, along with major financial problems, that remains the darkest period in Kabir Bedi’s life. However, he was able to bounce back from the bottom he fell to and wrote regarding his pain in his autobiography.
The serial Sandokan has even been in the Czech Republic several times
One of the first Bollywood actors who became famous in Hollywood and Europe, he won many awards for his acting skills. The Italians even knighted him, and since the early eighties, Kabir Bedi has been one of the voting members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which is behind the awarding of the prestigious Oscars. Apart from acting, Kabir Bedi deals with the political and social issues of India, he appears on the radio, he had his own talk show and, last but not least, he is also involved in charity, where, among other things, he tries to educate street children. The famous artist also visited the Czech Republic several times. For example, in 2014, when he was a guest of the international film festival for children and youth Juniorfest.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kabir_Bedi
https://www.denik.cz/film-a-televize/filmovy-sandokan-bedi-zil-v-indii-jako-dite-v-ceske-rodine-20141111.html
https://magazin.aktualne.cz/obrazem/obrazem-sandokan-slavi-70-let-kabir-bedi/r~615055fcbb8611e59e52002590604f2e/r~13000886bb8411e5aa720025900fea04/
https://ct24.ceskatelevize.cz/clanek/kultura/kabir-bedi-sandokan-zmenil-muj-zivot-ale-nelituji-toho-161276
https://cs.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandokan
https://kabirbedi.com/biography
