Mandira Bedi Recalls Being Labelled 'Bimbo', 'Airhead' On Cricket Panel, 'Felt Like I Didn't Exist'

Mandira Bedi, a name synonymous with breaking stereotypes of sports reporting, recently opened up about her initial challenges as one of the first female cricket presenters in India. The actress, fitness icon, and TV host revisited her uncomfortable experiences while trying to make an identity in the cricket panel, a largely male-dominated field. Speaking about the early days of her career, Mandira shared how she got cold shoulder treatment from fellow panellists, getting unfairly labelled ‘bimbo’ and ‘airhead’.

Mandira Bedi recalls facing a cold shoulder from her co-panellists

Back in the 2003 Cricket World Cup, Mandira entered the cricket broadcasting space for the first time. For a woman, this was a bold and rare move back then. However, instead of getting encouragement for her brave move, the DDLJ actress had to deal with stereotypical treatment, facing condescension and exclusion from co-panellists. During a recent conversation with Zoom, Mandira became candid about her initial days as a sports reporter. She recalled:

"The judgment actually came from the people who were on the panel. They were not very accepting of me. If I asked a question, they’d just stare me down and talk about whatever they wanted to talk about, and I’d be left like, ‘Do I even exist here?’ I did feel very disrespected, and I didn’t like the way I felt very excluded."

Mandira was trolled before social media was a thing

Mandira also recalled being subjected to brutal trolling, long before the age of Twitter and Instagram. The channel even advised her to avoid looking up public opinions to protect her mental health. However, despite the indifference of her colleagues, Mandira chose to own her space, realising that she was there to stay and break this stereotype. She was quoted as saying:

"Only when I found my feet and I was feeling good and comfortable, they said, 'Go ahead now. See whatever.' And I saw the stuff that was written about me. It doesn’t feel nice to be called a bimbo or an airhead or a dummy, but they said stuff like that about me. But I’d moved on, and I was like, I’m here and I’m finishing this tournament and having fun."

Mandira Bedi’s on finding a voice in sports broadcasting

Despite the indifference of her colleagues, Mandira chose to own her space. With time, she realised that as the presenter, she had the power to direct conversations and ask the questions viewers wanted answers to. Her self-belief gradually changed the dynamics on the panel, and she became one of the iconic sports presenters.

In an earlier chat with Kareena Kapoor Khan, Mandira shared how, despite all the stereotypical treatment, she gradually found her footing and voice in the male-dominated field. The actress shared:

“Somewhere along the way, when I realised that there’s no pressure on me and nothing is off the table and I need to ask what I want to ask, whatever question is in my head could be a question in somebody else’s head, nothing is off the table and if someone disrespects me, I will repeat that question till they give me an answer, and everything changed. The dynamic changed. And literally, after one week of being in absolute hell, when I realised that, ‘You know what, it’s life and I am sitting in the presenter’s chair and I am the one who is supposed to ask the questions, I am going to ask them’.”

Mandira’s grit and refusal to back down shattered stereotypes and paved the way for other women in sports broadcasting. What are your thoughts on Mandira being unfairly labelled by her colleagues in sports presenting?

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