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.”