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Woman Up S3 EXCLUSIVE: ‘Got stared down’, Mandira Bedi on facing intimidation during her cricket journey
Mandira Bedi opens up on facing major intimidation during her cricket journey.
Just a few days ahead of International Women’s Day, Pinkvilla has come up with a new season of Woman Up. Today, we have talented actress Mandira Bedi in our fourth episode. The actress not only ruled million hearts with her impeccable acting skills but also gained a huge army of fans as she hosted several cricket tournaments. Anyone who follows cricket would be quite familiar with Mandira Bedi. The actress had begun hosting for ICC Cricket World Cups in 2003 and 2007. She even hosted the IPL season-2 and the following season for British Network – ITV.
However, nothing comes on a silver platter. In a chat with Pinkvilla, Mandira opened up on how she faced major intimidation during her cricket journey. She jokingly says, “You know I made it easier for all the women hosts out there because I took the brunt.”
“Nobody accepted me, to begin with, certainly not the people sitting on the panel. I'm friends with all the ex-cricketers now who I worked with back then as well but they did not like that either, they did not like that there was a woman sitting wearing a nice saree, dressed up talking cricket and the thing is nobody fed me any lines, nobody fed me any questions. I was there to represent the layperson who doesn't know every technicality of cricket, who does not know every nuance of cricket,” the actress says. 
Mandira continues, “So, I was there and I was told whatever question comes to your mind at that particular point of time if you're thinking it ask it. I was given that freedom. Of course, I got stared down by a lot of the cricketers like- what's she even asking, why is she even asking that. They answered whatever they wanted to answer nothing connected to my question and that can be very very intimidating but I kind of was assured by the channel, it was Sony, that backed me and chose me from 150-200 women. They said that we've chosen you with the reason we think you have what it takes to stay, so go ahead and be yourself and start enjoying yourself.”
Watch full interview
ALSO READ: Woman Up S3 EXCLUSIVE: Mandira Bedi on late pregnancy & hosting cricket match when 7 months pregnant
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