Published>Sun, Mar 07 10 04:13 PM
Mandira Bedi may not be among the official commentators at the IPL this year, but that did not stop her from bowling a few googlies.
A guest at the Britannia Good Housekeeping Show 2010 on Friday, Mandira let drop that she was the subject of unwanted attention from a cricketer at last year's tournament.
Looking smashing in a pink dress, Mandira claimed she was stunned and embarrassed by the behaviour of a Deccan Chargers player.
"This player was hitting on me really bad last year. I didn't know how to handle it," said the petite actress, who was in Delhi to interact with women at the event held at The Grand in Vasant Kunj.
Mandira said the incident forced her to complain to Deccan Chargers skipper Adam Gilchrist.
"After a lot of thought, I walked up to Gilchrist and told him about the player. I don't know whether he talked to him about it or not, but at that time he gave me a patient hearing. And that was enough for me," she said.
"I have been interacting with cricketers, most of them stars in their own right, for a long time. And it's always great to be with them. But this was one strange experience that I wouldn't like to remember," Mandira, who is credited with bringing "noodle straps" into cricketing jargon, added.
She was all praise for the Australian batsman. Calling "Gilly" the most chivalrous and "down- to- earth cricketer ever", she says he helped her out of a situation that could have become unpleasant.
But the incident has not made her any less of a cricket enthusiast. "I was with the Chargers last night at a nightclub in Hyderabad where they launched their new gear. And it was like getting back to those good old days. I think I am blessed to be around these players who are idols for a whole country, and that too one like India where cricket is a religion," Mandira said.
Talking about "purists" who still have their fangs out against her for "trivialising cricket", she said: "It's ironic that the game itself has a much more glamourised avatar today, and I still get to be the lucky chick who has two or three OB vans parked outside her home whenever the IPL season takes off or there's anything newsworthy on cricket or cricketers." Regarding her ever-shrinking waistline, the actress went on to explain that women in the glamour industry always have a tight rope to walk on as tilting on either side of the weighing scale draws unnecessary attention and nasty comments.
"I know I look thinner than ever. But what people fail to realise is that when you face the camera, it immediately adds at least eight kilos to you. So we need to be on the thinner side to appear our best," Mandira said.
Candid talk is what made this lass gain popularity as a cricket commentator.
And she has no intention of changing that about herself.
"When did I ever claim I was anything more than just a cricket buff, who is having the time of her life?"
Reproduced From Mail Today. Copyright 2010. MTNPL. All rights reserved.
Follow us on Twitter!
Source: Web Search