India’s first woman IPS officer Dr Kiran Bedi’s inspirational life will now be turned into a motion picture as she has announced a biopic on her life, titled BEDI: The Name You Know. The Story You Don’t. Having been given the offer to make a film on her life several times before, Bedi says, “I think the time had come. It’s liberation for me.”
The 75-year-old reveals that the four-and-a-half years of research by director Kushaal Chawla made her say yes this time around. She shares, “I was in Pondicherry for my assignment when Kushaal and his father (producer) Gaurav Chawla came to me saying they wanted to make a film on me. I told them that it was too early for it as I was still at work, but I saw was the massive homework and due diligence they had already done, without even knowing whether I would say yes or no.”
The film will soon go into pre-production and the casting for Bedi’s role is yet to happen. Ask Bedi which Bollywood actor she thinks would do justice to her journey and she says, “These are tough choices, best left to the directors and producers. Can you put it on a survey? It might make our choice better too.” She adds that the film might be released next year. “2025 marks 50th anniversary of International Women’s Year. Kushaal may be inching towards releasing the film the same year. Also, it will be a global film with an Indian woman on screen, made by an Indian crew,” she says.
Being an IPS officer, ask Bedi about her take on the portrayal of police officers in Indian cinema and she says, “With my limited time, I don’t watch much of uniform or police series, because I have had enough of it in real life.” She also has had her own stint with showbiz when she did the show Aap Ki kachehri on TV. Recalling that time, she says, “That was a brilliant phase of my life. It was instant justice, exactly what the love of my service brought me. There was no pre-planned judgement, we heard people on there for the first time live itself and it was truly based on testimonials being given and the evidence we had. The judgements were honoured like a civil court. I loved that part of my life.”
