Lives of Freda Bedi: An ode to a remarkable woman

It is not easy growing up as a son to two communist freedom fighters who spent most of their lives devoted to the social welfare of a newly independent country. However, Kabir Bedi, son of Freda and Baba Pyare Lal Bedi has no remorse. Rather, he couldn't be prouder of his blue-eyed English mother who moved cultures and donned several roles.
 
"I was closest to my mother of all the children. She was my biggest emotional link throughout my childhood. It's the relationship I cherish the most and I'm glad that she lived to see my success in Europe," said the actor at the book launch of "The Lives of Freda Bedi", at the Asian College of Journalism in Chennai.

Penned by former BBC journalist and author Andrew Whitehead, the biography of Freda Bedi narrates her story of being the English woman who came to India because of love but later played a part in shaping Kashmir's political course and fought for India's freedom struggle.

"My parents were famous freedom fighters in Punjab. They were close to the Nehru family and several people who later went on to become ministers and bureaucrats, yet they decided not to cash in political rewards and chose to continue social service," he recounted. 

Thanking Whitehead for sparing the time and showing the patience to write the biography, Kabir Bedi said, "This is the book my mother deserved. This is the book that I wanted to write but failed. If there was a Pulitzer in India, Andrew would win it."

Expressing his desire to work as a filmmaker, he added that a film on his mother Freda is on the cards.