Recently, Mandira Bedi talked candidly about her difficult time hosting a cricket show during the 2003 Cricket World Cup. Bedi, who is well-known for her work in movies and television, decided to try her hand at sports anchoring after meeting Sony TV executives by accident. The bosses were drawn to her enthusiasm for cricket and decided to give her a chance to play the anchor. But Bedi had to overcome several challenges along the way, such as sexism and a lack of encouragement from her co-hosts and the audience.
Bedi recently talked about how she got the hosting job in an interview. In 2002, Bedi, a cricket aficionado, purchased a ticket to Sri Lanka to see the match after India advanced to the Champions Trophy semifinals. Staff members from Sony TV noticed her at the event and expressed amazement at her presence. According to Bedi, “They just had me at the back of their mind as someone who really likes cricket.” Sony TV contacted Bedi when they later made the decision to have a female anchor for the 2003 World Cup. She talked about the surprise contact and the flurry of inquiries and auditions that transpired after.
Bedi’s transition to television hosting was far from smooth, even after landing the job. She had to deal with a lot of obstacles, such as criticism and scrutiny from coworkers and viewers. Even while social media was not as common back then as it is now, people could still express their ideas online. Bedi was shielded from hurtful remarks by Sony TV, which informed her, “You are not allowed to know what people are saying.” This choice was made in an effort to protect her from the critical comments that would have damaged her confidence and performance.
Bedi gained invaluable life lessons from the incident. She discovered how to ignore unfavourable comments and concentrate on the compliments.
