Veteran actor Kabir Bedi once opened up about his close bond with the Gandhi family, sharing fond memories of growing up alongside former Prime Ministers Rajiv Gandhi and Sanjay Gandhi. In a past interview with Digital Commentary, Bedi revealed that his family shared warm relations with the Gandhis during his childhood, even though he no longer aligns himself politically with the Congress party.
‘Today I support PM Modi’s leadership’
During the conversation, Kabir Bedi clarified his current political stance, expressing faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. “Nowadays, I am not with the Congress party at all. I have complete faith in Prime Minister Modi ji’s leadership,” he said. However, he added that in his younger days, his family and the Gandhi family shared a very close relationship.
Kabir Bedi on childhood memories with Rajiv and Sanjay Gandhi
Recalling their early years together, Kabir Bedi shared that he studied in the same school as Rajiv and Sanjay Gandhi. “Rajiv was two years older than me and Sanjay was one year younger. We used to study together at a small private school on Hailey Road,” he recalled. The actor also revealed that he was often invited to the Prime Minister’s residence for birthday parties and family gatherings. “As a child, I felt the Prime Minister’s house was like a huge palace. There was a special room filled with toys gifted by world leaders — trains, teddy bears, Meccano sets — and we used to play there together,” he shared.
Horse riding helped Kabir Bedi land iconic roles
Kabir Bedi further recalled learning horse riding at the Gandhi residence due to the large lawns where horses were brought in for training sessions. According to the actor, this skill later proved useful in his acting career. “Because I knew horse riding so well, I got roles like Kachche Dhaage and even Sandokan,” he said.
Rajiv Gandhi’s candid confession after becoming PM
Kabir Bedi also remembered meeting Rajiv Gandhi after he became Prime Minister. The actor had returned from the United States and visited Rajiv at the Prime Minister’s Office. He recalled waiting alongside senior ministers before Rajiv personally called him inside. “Rajiv looked outside and said, ‘Kabir, come in.’ After closing the door, he quietly told me, ‘Yaar, kahaan phas gaya hoon?’” Kabir Bedi shared with a laugh. When Bedi jokingly told him to become serious because he was now the Prime Minister, Rajiv reportedly replied, “Don’t tell me to be serious. Everyone says that to me all day. You’re my friend, let’s talk about old times and fun memories.”
‘Rajiv was a good man at heart’
Kabir Bedi turned emotional while remembering Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination, describing him as a kind-hearted person. “It was a huge tragedy that he was assassinated. Rajiv was a very good man at heart,” the actor said. He also spoke about Sanjay Gandhi, acknowledging that while the politician had a tougher personality, he played a key role in the dream of creating an affordable “people’s car” in India through Maruti Suzuki. “Sanjay’s dream was to build a people’s car for India, and that dream was eventually fulfilled through the Maruti Suzuki agreement,” Kabir Bedi added.
