Mandira Bedi goes behind the wheel for TV show

Mandira Bedi was in the news recently for agreeing to play the role of a police offer in the upcoming Tamil film Adangaathey. After essaying a doctor in 2004 hit film, Manmadhan, she is back to K’town after a 12-year hiatus.

Now, the anchor and actress, known for being part of many adventure television series, will soon be seen driving a truck along with celebrities like Varun Sharma and Sangram Singh, in the new season of IRT-India’s Deadliest Roads. The expedition will have the three actors driving through the roads of Leh-Ladakh, Pangong Lake and Nubra, to supply essential commodities to the remote villages in these regions, which are otherwise cut off from the world during the harsh winters.

Going by the stereotype that Indian television doles out on a regular basis, a woman driving a truck through the deadliest roads across the northern territory of India appears unconventional.  So what made Mandira take up this deadly challenge, we ask. “When this offer first came my way, it sounded interesting, but scary. I was in two minds about the project. I ran this by my husband (Raj Kaushal) and he unblinkingly said I should do it. He even offered to take over responsibilities of our son while I was away. He really was the one who believed that I could do it, and made up my mind for me. So I said, ‘yes’,” reveals Mandira.

She recalls, “I did feel fear, but I was told that at any point, if it gets too tiring, unbearable or life threatening, I can always give it to the co-driver. I would tell myself that there is some sort of safety net. But the truth is, if I take one wrong turn, or if there is a crazy driver coming your way, that is the end. This thought made my fear rise up once again. So yes, it was a big decision. And every single hour of every day of driving took a lot of courage.”

The actress had to take driving lessons for operating a heavy motor vehicle in places like Chennai and Manali to prepare herself for the journey. “Yes, I actually had to take driving lessons for a heavy motor vehicle. But honestly, no amount of lessons can prepare you for roads like the ones we encountered. I didn’t have the courage to look down at sharp drops. At the end of a day, I would be thankful for having survived without ever giving the truck to the co-driver,” she says.