Protima Bedi (1948- 1998) was a famous Indian model and Odissi dancer. She is known as the ex-wife of Kabir Bedi, an Indian actor. Protima is the founder of Nrityagram, a dance school located in Hesaraghatta, Bengaluru. He died in the Malpa landslide, near Pithoragarh, on his way to Kailash-Mansarovar on 18 August 1998.
Wiki/Biography
Protima Bedi aka Protima Gauri Bedi was born on Tuesday, 12 October 1948 (age 49 years; at death) in Delhi, India. His zodiac sign is Libra. In 1953, his family moved to Goa, and in 1957, they moved to Mumbai. Protima attended local schools in her hometown Karnal, Haryana and Kimmins High School, Panchgani, Maharashtra. He graduated from the College of St. Xavier, Mumbai.
Physical appearance
Height (approx): 5′ 6″
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Black
Family
Protima Bedi belongs to the Bengali Bania family.
Parents & Siblings
Protima’s father, Laxmichand Gupta, is a businessman from Karnal district, Haryana. His mother’s name is Reba, she comes from a Bengali family. Protima has three siblings, two sisters and one brother.
Husband & Son
Protima Bedi married Kabir Bedi, an Indian actor, in 1969.
Protima Bedi with Kabir Bedi
In the late 1960s, during her modeling days, Protima met Kabir. It was Kabir’s third marriage, and the couple decided to be in an open marriage. After eight years of marriage, Kabir and Protima divorced in 1977. The reason behind their divorce was Kabir’s extramarital affair with Parveen Babi. In an interview, Kabir spoke about his failed marriage and said,
Our open marriage may seem like a good idea at first. In the end, it just made me worry more. It has caused a lack of intimacy between us. I don’t feel the love that I want, the caring and sharing that I need. I can’t give it either. The old magic is gone. I feel alone, empty and sad.
He is survived by a daughter, Pooja Bedi, a former Indian actress, television host and newspaper columnist.
Protima Bedi with her daughter, Pooja Bedi
Protima has a son Siddharth Bedi, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia while studying at Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He committed suicide in 1997 at the age of 26. In an interview, Pooja Bedi spoke about her younger brother’s suicide and said,
He was diagnosed with schizophrenia and his suicide in 1997 changed my life forever. He is sensitive, loving, gentle and witty. He also excelled, and graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with Honors. The void of his death and subsequently my mother’s death in 1998 is something I cannot fill.”
Another brother
Aalia Furniturewalla, daughter of Pooja Bedi and Farhan Furniturewala, is the granddaughter of Protima Bedi.
Relationships/Affairs
After divorcing Kabir Bedi, Protima started learning Odissi dance. At that time, he met Pandit Jasraj, who was an Indian classical vocalist. They dated for about five years. It is rumored that the reason behind their separation is Rajni Patel, an Indian politician and lawyer. Protima meets Rajni at his office to settle some legal matters. Protima was attracted by his charm, and soon, she broke off her relationship with Pandit Jasraj. Reportedly, Protima’s name is associated with several men such as Fred Kienzel, Vijaypath Singhania, Vasant Sathe, Jacques Lebel, Mario Kropf, and Rom Whitaker.
Religion/Religious Views
At first, Protima was an atheist. However, after he met his Guru Shri Kelucharan Mahapatra, he became spiritual and started believing in God.
Career
Model
In 1970, Protima Bedi started her career as a model. Within months, Protima established herself as a top model and became the face of daring photo shoots.
Protima Bedi during her modeling days
Movie
In 1978, Protima Bedi made her Bollywood debut with the film Gaman.
Protima Bedi in a still from the movie Gaman
In 1992, she appeared in the Hollywood film Miss Beatty’s Children where she played the role of Kamla Devi. The film is based on Pamela Rooks’ novel Miss Beatty’s Children.
Miss Beatty’s Children movie poster
Dancer
Protima Bedi is a professional Odissi dancer. In August 1975, Protima, on her way to a fashion show, accidentally entered the Bhulabhai Memorial Institute, where she saw Kelucharan Mahapatra teaching Odissi dance to his students. Later, he became a student of Shri Kelucharan Mahapatra and started training for the dance form in Cuttack, Odisha. Protima performed Odissi dance across the country and started her own dance school at Prithvi Theater in Juhu, Mumbai. On 11 May 1990, Protima established the Nrityagram Academy, India’s first free dance school in Hesaraghatta, Bengaluru, which was inaugurated by the then Prime Minister of India Vishwanath Pratap Singh.
Protima Bedi performed Odissi dance
Controversy
Nude shoot for magazine cover
In 1974, Protima Bedi ran naked to be featured on the cover of Cineblitz magazine.
Protima Bedi’s controversial shoot for Cineblitz magazine
Initially, the location chosen for the shoot was near the Flora Fountain in Mumbai. Taiyeb Badshah was appointed as a professional photographer to cover the magazine shoot. Later, the place was changed to Juhu Beach because Protima was not satisfied with the picture. Protima’s bold image was highly criticized by the public. Protima, in his autobiography, wrote,
The so-called streak happened in Goa. I spent a lot of time during that time with the hippies at Anjuna Beach. Everyone walks naked there. If you wear a swimsuit, you look and feel odd. So I’m a nudist like everyone else on the beach. Someone must have taken a picture of me there, and what the magazine did was put these pictures on Bombay street pictures. And people are so gullible, no one questions it. Aren’t there people in the picture if I’m really doing this in Bombay?”
In an interview, Kabir Bedi spoke about his wife’s bold portrayal and said,
When Protima came to me in Malaysia, she said that ‘I have stripes’. Streaking is someone who runs naked on stage or in the streets generally protesting something. And I don’t know what he’s talking about. He said I had done a doodle and someone took a picture and put it in a magazine. He didn’t tell me the truth about how or why he swiped. Then it turned out he was doing it as a publicity stunt for a magazine.”
Death
On August 12, 1998, Protima left for Mansarovar for 33 days. On 18 August 1998, he died in a landslide, while on a pilgrimage to Kailash Mansarovar. His remains and belongings were later found in Malpa, a village along the Indo-Tibetan border in Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand. Pooja Bedi, in her mother’s autobiography, wrote,
He always wanted to die with nature and used to whimper at the thought of a normal death, a painful death and being cremated in some soulless crematorium. Well, I guess he has his way even in death.
Facts/Trivia
- She is also known as Protima Gupta and Gaurima.
- Protima’s father was against her modeling career. One day, Protima’s father saw her on the front page of The Times of India, modeling for Bombay Dyeing in evening wear. Protima runs away from her father’s house after he slaps her, and she moves to Mumbai.
- In an interview, Protima recalled the incident when he was declared dead, but after a few minutes, he was found alive. Further, he said,
As a child, I used to polish off a box of chocolate laxatives and then proceeded to throw up on my stomach. I lost all body fluids and fell into a deep coma. The doctor pronounced me dead and they made preparations for my cremation. That’s when my mother saw a twinkle in my eyelid and proceeded to turn me on. So I’m a rare person who has his own death certificate.”
- During her dance training with Shri Kelucharan Mahapatra, Protima named herself Protima Gauri. In an interview, she talked about the reason for changing her name and said,
I decided to take some kind of sanya from city life, my profession and children. I just want a name that is not my father’s or my husband’s”
- Protima is the founder of Mumbai’s first disco club, Hideout.
- Protima’s dance school, Nrityagram, follows the principles of the ancient gurukul learning system, where students and teachers live together under the same roof as a family.
A glimpse of a dance class at Nrityagram
- In 1994, Protima started an annual dance music festival, Vasanthabba, where dancers and artistes from all over the country performed for the event. In 1999, various artists and dancers performed for free at the Vasanthabba event to pay tribute to Protima Bedi.
- After her son died of suicide, Protima shaved her head and threw away all her possessions.
- Protima’s autobiography, Timepass: The Memoirs of Protima Bedi, is based on her journals and letters, which were categorized and published by her daughter, Pooja Bedi.
Pooja Bedi holds her mother’s autobiography, Timepass- The Memoirs of Protima Bedi
Categories: Biography
Source: SCHOOL TRANG DAI
